Sky
by guardianM3
Summary: A woman is discovered in a stasis chamber that had been built by the Ancients.
1. Chapter 1: Jungle Planet

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

guardianM3: This is my first Stargate Atlantis fanfiction. I haven't seen the show in awhile and the last time I saw it was when they stopped the Wraith from getting to Earth. I had also missed some shows in between. I don't have cable or satellite dish and they had been playing it on some local channel where I live, but they don't have it anymore. I hope I have the characters written correctly, but please let me know if any of them are off.

* * *

Chapter 1: Jungle Planet

Lt. Colonel John Sheppard scanned the area before he signaled to his team with a wave of his arm to continue. He swept his dark hair out of his blue eyes and gave himself a reminder to get a haircut. Somehow, he would have to find the time between missions and protecting Atlantis from the Wraith, the Genii and anything else that was bound to come up.

Teyla was second in line, keeping her eyes on the surrounding area and for signals from Sheppard. Even though she wore the uniform, she was from a race that lived within the galaxy that the Ancients had once resided millions of years ago. Now, her people lived on the planet that the city of Atlantis had made it its home.

Dr. Rodney McKay, a brilliant scientist with an ego and a tendency to whine was trying to get the life source detector to work. It would start to show a life source for a few minutes but then it would disappear. He hoped the scanner was malfunctioning.

Ronon Dex brought up the rear, his weapon in his hands, hoping that this wouldn't turn out to be one of those boring missions like gathering plants and reading Ancient writing from a rock.

"Great, I love the jungle." McKay complained as he killed another insect that had landed on his neck.

It had been two hours since they had come through the Stargate using the Puddle Jumper. They had been exploring and detailing the planet, taking note of the vegetation life, but so far, they hadn't seen any animals or creatures besides the mosquito-like creatures that continued to bite them. Of course, recently, McKay had told the rest of the team that the life source detector wasn't working up to standards.

"It's not that bad, McKay. It's nice and warm, plenty of vegetation, and some strange looking creatures that I think sees us as its next meal," Sheppard said as he stopped and watched as two hairy creatures that looked like a cross between a tiger and a raptor were coming toward them at great speed.

"What? Oh great!" McKay exclaimed, almost dropping the life detector.

Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla fired at the creatures but the creatures were quick and agile enough to avoid the attack.

"Let's go," Sheppard said as he fired two more shots that were useless. Obviously, the creatures were a lot cleverer than they looked.

"The Stargate is too far away," McKay said, calculating in his head the time it would take the creatures to reach them as they headed toward the Puddle Jumper. He knew that the creatures would be able to overtake them.

"There is a cave, those creatures won't be able to enter it," Teyla said as she pointed. It was about twenty yards from where they were currently standing. John was surprised that he hadn't seen it, but he was glad that Teyla had.

The mouth of the cave looked at though the broad-shouldered Ronon would barely be able to enter it but the cave was the only chance had since they wouldn't be able to make it to the Puddle Jumper.

Sheppard wondered how Teyla could have seen the cave that blended in with the jungle since it was covered in leafy vines and other plant life. "All right, let's head to that cave. Ronon and I will cover you two. Or we will at least try," Sheppard added underneath his breath since the creature he had been shooting at had avoided two more of his shots.

Teyla and McKay took off, knowing that Sheppard and Ronon were right behind them.

"I just hope this cave doesn't have those Iratus bugs!" Sheppard yelled as he fired a round at the creatures.

"I would take those bugs over these things any day," McKay said.

"Right, you didn't have one of those things attached to your neck!" Sheppard shot back just as he entered the cave behind his team just as one of the creatures had tried to grab him with very sharp teeth.

"Uh, guys. We are not alone in here," McKay said from the beginning of a turn of the cave that Teyla, Ronon and John could not see what he was seeing.

"It had better not be any parasitic bugs, McKay," Sheppard said as he raised his weapon and walked up to McKay, Ronon and Teyla standing on either side of Sheppard.

McKay frowned and pointed the light he had in his hand.

About twenty feet in the cave was a girl in a crystal, her eyes closed. Without stepping closer, Sheppard could tell that the woman was in some type of slumber stasis state. He could also conclude that she had been there quite some time, with all of the dust that had collected on the floor and around the stasis chamber, even though the stasis chamber didn't have a speck of dust on it. He could also see that her hair was black and had a tint of blue within it. He estimated her age to be in the range of the mid twenties to the early thirties.

McKay stepped up to the stasis chamber. "Should we wake her?" McKay asked as he placed his hand on the stasis chamber and felt that it was cold to the touch.

"We do not know who she is or why she was put here," Teyla warned.

"All right. We'll have to have Dr. Beckett here anyway, just in case she is ill or something," Sheppard said.

McKay pulled his hand away and wiped his hand on his pants, hoping that he hadn't just contracted a fatal disease. "Yeah, she may have been placed in there because she has some sort of infectious disease," McKay said as he cast a weary glance at the woman, wondering why he had thought about releasing her in the first place.

Shepard raised an amused eyebrow. "Right. Anyway, I think Dr. Weir will want to hear about this anyway."

"Do you think she is an Ancient?" Ronon asked.

"It's possible, but wouldn't she have ascended or left like the others? Why is she on this planet?" Teyla asked.

"Well, there is Ancient writing on the stasis chamber and on the walls, but they are too faded to make out. I'm going to take some pictures. We'll be able to clear up the images in Atlantis," McKay said as he began to take pictures, while Teyla shone the light in the direction that McKay indicated.

"All right. We'll leave her here. Since she seems to have been here for quite awhile, she should be safe for a little while longer. We need to head back to the Puddle Jumper as soon as we can. Ronon, check to see if the creatures have left," Sheppard ordered, wanting to keep an eye on the girl even though she was frozen.

"We have to be careful, the creatures may be waiting for us to step out of the cave and then attack us," Ronon warned. He had a strange feeling about those creatures that put him on edge. It seemed to him that the creatures were not after the explorers just for a snack, but as though they were protecting something.

"We will just have to take a look. McKay, can you fix the life detector?" Sheppard asked.

"Uh, no I don't have the materials with me. What do you think I am? Some sort of toolbox that has the parts needed to fix anything that breaks down?" McKay said haughtily.

"Yup," Sheppard replied as his gaze returned to the woman in the stasis chamber.

"None of the creatures are in sight," Ronon said when he returned to the group.

"Well, we could stay here until we are certain those things are gone," McKay suggested.

"Or, those things might be trying to find a way in," Ronon said and watched in amusement as McKay paled.

"Great. So, what do you want to do, make a run for the Jumper?" McKay asked as he fiddled with the life detector, ignoring the look on Ronon's face.

"That's an excellent idea, McKay. Thank you," Sheppard replied as he added ammo to his weapon.

"You're welcome. Wait! I was being sarcastic! Didn't you hear the sarcasm in my voice? You want to take a chance running out there when I can't even detect if they're near?"

"Yeah, but that's the only option we have here," Sheppard pointed out.

"Those creatures avoided our attack. I believe we are assuming those creatures are normal predators. They are cleverer than we are assuming."

"I agree with Teyla. Those things are up to something," Ronon said.

"Well, I see that we have two options. Option number one is to remain here and wait for those creatures to leave us alone or they may find a way in and eat us. Option number two is to run out of here with guns blazing in which we may be eaten. Which option do you guys care to take?" Sheppard asked, already knowing the answers he was going to receive.

"Option number two," Ronon said with a grin as he grabbed his other gun. Teyla nodded her head, agreeing with Ronon's choice.

John, Ronon and Teyla looked at McKay. McKay sighed. "All right, option number two, but only because you guys out voted me."

Ronon took the lead, his big gun ready to fire at a second's notice. Teyla was right behind him, her eyes scanning the area around her and keeping close to Ronon. Following a few steps behind Teyla was McKay clutching the life detector, trying to get it to work. Last was Sheppard, knowing that his position was more vulnerable to attack.

As Sheppard ran, he blocked out the sounds of his teammates footsteps and the sounds of their packs bouncing on their backs. He hoped that the creatures had lost interest in them and had gone to search for other prey.

A flash of green caught Sheppard's eye but before he could warn his team, the creature made its appearance.

Sheppard turned, raised his gun and fired at the creature. The creature continued toward him, stretched out its arm, and knocked the gun out of Sheppard's hands.

Ronon was about to fire his gun, when a creature came at McKay. Ronon fired at the creature and pulled McKay towards him, away from the path of the creature. Teyla, once she had seen Ronon save McKay focused her attention on the creature that had just knocked Sheppard onto the ground.

The creature dug its claws into Sheppard's left leg. He screamed in pain as he tried to get away.

"John!" Teyla yelled as she tried to get to him, but another creature stepped in front of her. She quickly fired at the creature before her and watched as green blood dripped from the creature, but it continued towards her.

The creature brought its jaws down and was about to grab onto Sheppard's shoulder.

Sheppard watched as hands grasped the creature's neck and turned it sharply. He heard a crunch as the bones snapped. Sheppard scurried away, being careful not to put any pressure on his injured leg.

Sheppard watched with surprise as the girl who had been in stasis walked over to him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. She had him lean on her shoulder for support.

Teyla had managed to kill the creature that had tried to attack her, as did Rohan with the one that had gone after McKay.

The team realized that the girl had saved Sheppard and decided they had better run to the Puddle Jumper before more creatures came out to meet them.

When they made it inside, Teyla closed the doors. McKay jumped into the pilot's seat and got the Puddle Jumper heading toward the Stargate.

"Who are you?" Ronon asked keeping his hand close to his weapon.

The girl turned to look at Ronon, but didn't say a word as she slumped to the floor.

"Hey, is she all right?" Sheppard asked, trying to see beyond Teyla as she bandaged his wounds.

"She doesn't have any visible wounds, so we'll let Dr. Beckett answer that question," Ronon said, once he had checked the girl for any wounds.

"She's the one from the stasis chamber, right?" McKay asked as he guided the Puddle Jumper.

"Yeah, and she just saved our lives," Sheppard replied as he looked at the girl with several questions going through his mind.

* * *

guardianM3: Don't forget to review with thoughts, comments, etc.


	2. Chapter 2: Situation

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 2: Situation

Sheppard propped himself up on his elbows so he could check on the girl again. Once she had passed out on the Puddle Jumper, she hadn't regained consciousness, even after they had returned to Atlantis. Dr. Elizabeth Weir had sent Sheppard and the girl immediately to the infirmary to have Dr. Carson Beckett check them over. It had been almost four hours and the girl still hadn't woken up. On the other hand, Sheppard was still in the infirmary and astonishingly wasn't bothering Dr. Beckett about being released.

"She's not awake yet, Colonel Sheppard," Dr. Beckett said, writing something down on Sheppard's chart.

Sheppard wondered how Dr. Beckett knew he was checking on the girl since the doctor had his back was turned to him.

"She not only saved my life, but also the members of my team," Sheppard reminded Dr. Beckett.

Dr. Beckett turned around and patted Sheppard on the shoulder. "I understand your concern."

Sheppard didn't comment as his attention returned to the unconscious girl. Several questions went through Sheppard's mind and he wanted answers. No, he _needed_ answers because there was something about the girl that was giving him a strange feeling.

"Well, since you are all bandaged up and you're doing quite well, you can return to your quarters, as long as you promise to take it easy and to stay off your leg," Dr. Beckett said, hoping that Sheppard would return to his quarters and wouldn't get in Dr. Beckett's way.

"Right. Sure, Doc," Sheppard said with a grin, looking again to see if the girl had woken up.

Dr. Beckett frowned at John and was about to comment when Teyla came into the room.

"Do not worry, Dr. Beckett, I will make sure that he obeys your orders," Teyla said as she held a pair of crutches out to Sheppard. She knew that if she didn't get Sheppard to leave the infirmary, he would remain until the girl had woken up.

"Thank you, Teyla," Dr. Beckett said with some relief but he knew that Sheppard tended to do things his own way that got the Colonel into trouble.

"You are quite welcome, Dr. Beckett," Teyla said giving the doctor a nod.

"Gee, did the good Doctor page you while I wasn't looking or something?" Sheppard asked as he stood up and leaned on the crutches.

"No," Teyla answered without hesitation.

Sheppard looked at Teyla with a raised eyebrow wondering if she had answered sincerely. "Bye, Doc. Let me know if anything changes," Sheppard said looking pointedly at the girl.

"Of course, Colonel Sheppard," Dr. Beckett said with a nod as he checked the girl's vitals.

Sheppard sighed and allowed Teyla to lead him out of the infirmary. He didn't understand the strange feeling he had about the girl. He concluded that it must be because she had saved his life and the members of his team.

* * *

It had been about twenty minutes since Colonel Sheppard had left the infirmary when Dr. Beckett began whistling an old Scottish tune that he had learned from his grandfather.

He was curious about this girl who had saved Colonel Sheppard's life by breaking a creature's neck with her bare hands. Dr. Beckett had taken a sample of her blood to see what he could discover, but he still had to wait at least another hour before all of the tests would be complete.

He was signing the paperwork about Sheppard's injuries and his release, when he heard movement in the infirmary. He stood up and left his office, going into the patient area. He stepped up to the bed that had his only patient and saw that the girl's eyes were open and that they were the color of the sky on a clear, sunny day. "Hello, I'm Dr. Beckett…"

Before Dr. Beckett could move, the girl shot her hand out and grabbed him by the throat. Before Dr. Beckett could try to say or word, the girl lifted up Dr. Beckett and threw him over the examination table and into the wall. Dr. Beckett slumped to the ground, unconscious.

The girl jumped off of the bed and scanned the room with fearful eyes. She saw the door across the room. With another quick look around the room, she decided that it was safe and she ran out the door.

* * *

Dr. Elizabeth Weir read over the mission report that Colonel Sheppard had put together while he had been in the infirmary. She had already read the mission reports that Teyla, Ronon and Rodney had given to her. They all had written similar events, but she had noticed that Sheppard's mission report had a different tone than those of his team. Weir was certain that Sheppard's odd tone was caused by the strange girl who had saved his life and had ensured the safety of Sheppard's team when they had run for the Puddle Jumper.

Dr. Weir ran a hand through her wavy, brown hair, set down Sheppard's report and spun her chair around to look out the window. She gazed out and allowed her eyes to follow the waves of the ocean.

She could feel her body beginning to relax when the communications link beeped. Holding in a sigh, she pushed the button to respond. "Yes?"

"Dr. Weir, we have a situation," Lieutenant Hall said.

Dr. Weir frowned which caused her brow to furrow in thought and in worry. "What is it, Lieutenant?"

"Dr. Weir, Dr. Beckett was attacked and is in the infirmary," Lieutenant Hall replied.

"I'm on my way," Dr. Weir said as she stood up and quickly left her office and as she ran to the infirmary, wondering if Dr. Beckett was all right.

* * *

Dr. Weir stepped into the infirmary and the first thing she saw was Dr. Beckett laying on a hospital bed, with an ice pack pressed against the back of his head. When she saw that his eyes were open and he was moving slightly, she sighed in relief.

"What happened?" Dr. Weir asked as she stepped up to Dr. Beckett and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Dr. Beckett gave Dr. Weir a small smile before his face scrunched up as a jolt of pain shot through him.

"It appears that Dr. Beckett's latest patient and Colonel Sheppard's new friend decided to throw the good Doctor at the wall," Lieutenant Hall replied as Major Carson, a petite, blonde haired woman with a small, almost heart shaped birthmark on her neck adjusted Dr. Beckett's pillow so the Doctor would be more comfortable.

Dr. Beckett quickly explained to Dr. Weir what had happened. Dr. Weir frowned as she used her communications earphone to call Captain McNally. "Captain McNally, has there been any sighting of our guest?"

"No, ma'am, but the entire city has been alerted and are looking for the girl," Captain McNally replied in his thick British accent.

"I'm coming to the control room," Dr. Weir said as she patted Dr. Beckett on the shoulder. "Take care of yourself, Dr. Beckett."

"Thank you, Dr. Weir. A doctor doesn't hear that too often," Dr. Beckett said with a smile which Dr. Weir returned before she left the infirmary.

* * *

Sheppard was looking intently at the screen when Dr. Weir entered the room. He had already ditched his crutches and made sure that he wasn't putting much weight on his injured leg.

"Any sighting of the girl yet?" Dr. Weir asked once she gave Sheppard a disapproving look and surprisingly didn't comment about his presence.

"No, Dr. Weir," Captain McNally said, his accent heavier than usual because he was anxious and concerned. "How is Dr. Beckett?"

"He has a nasty bump on the head and probably a concussion, but he'll be fine," Dr. Weir replied as she looked at the screen that was showing the different levels of the city.

Dr. McKay entered the room and gave Sheppard a look telling the Colonel that McKay was going to tell Sheppard that he never should have brought the girl into the city. Sheppard just ignored McKay as he studied the screen wondering where the girl had gone.

"Why would she attack Dr. Beckett? Dr. Beckett is gentle and caring," Teyla said.

"She woke up and Dr. Beckett went to check on her, but she attacked him," Dr. Weir said, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"She was afraid," Sheppard said incredulously, wondering why he hadn't come to that conclusion earlier.

"Of Dr. Beckett? She doesn't seem like she would be afraid of anything. I mean she did kill that creature just by snapping its neck!" McKay replied wondering if Sheppard had taken a hit to the head.

Sheppard refrained from rolling his eyes. "No, she was afraid of the infirmary. That's why she left."

"Have we found her yet?" Dr. Weir asked McNally barely able to keep the impatience out of her voice and not caring at the moment why she attacked Dr. Beckett but wanting to make sure that the girl wouldn't attack any else.

McNally didn't answer as he moved to the next part of the city that had yet to be scanned. "The sensors indicate that someone is on the northeast tower," McNally said, pointing the location on the monitor. He knew that it had to be the girl because no one was supposed to be in the tower.

"That's her. Let's go," Sheppard said as he turned to leave ignoring the pain in his leg and trying to hide the limp from Dr. Weir.

"Colonel Sheppard, you are injured so you are in no condition to see this woman," Dr. Weir said.

"She saved my life, Dr. Weir. I think she will listen to me," Sheppard said knowing somehow that she would truly listen to him.

Dr. Weir sighed, knowing that it was going to be a waste of time to argue with Sheppard. "Fine. Teyla is going with you just in case the girl becomes hostile."

Sheppard nodded his head agreeing to Dr. Weir's demands, but surprisingly he didn't respond with some type of comment as he hurried out the door with Teyla right behind him.

* * *

Sheppard and Teyla made it to the tower in ten minutes which would probably be considered a record if either of them cared about that at that moment. They stepped warily towards the opening that led outside onto a balcony with Teyla holding steadily onto her weapon. Teyla paused and looked back at Sheppard, keeping a wary eye towards the opening.

Sheppard nodded his head and gave Teyla the signal to continue. Teyla cautiously walked through the opening.

The girl was of the right of the doorway standing next the railing and gazing out across the ocean. Teyla had her gun trained on the girl, when Sheppard signaled that he wanted to talk with the girl. Teyla nodded her head even though she had her doubts about the strange girl.

Sheppard walked a couple of steps past Teyla towards the girl. "Hello, I'm Lieutenant Colonel John Sheppard and I just want to talk with you."

The girl turned around, her long, dark hair tinted with blue moved like a wave as she tilted her head and studied them. Sheppard saw a flash of movement as the girl rushed towards them so quickly that Teyla didn't have a chance to even fire her weapon.

The girl easily pushed Sheppard aside which caused his injured leg to give out on him as he landed on his back. Hundreds of white dots appeared in Sheppard's vision as he felt the throbbing pain in his leg.

Teyla without her weapon was still a formidable fighter but the girl was faster and stronger than Teyla had realized. Within seconds, the girl had grabbed Teyla by the throat and was holding her over the edge.

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guardianM3: Comments are always welcome. Comments let me know if you like the story, what I need to do to improve the story and if I should continue.


	3. Chapter 3: The Tower

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 3: The Tower

Sheppard looked up from the floor of the tower and saw that Teyla was being dangled over the edge of the balcony by the girl. "No! Stop!" Sheppard yelled as he ignored the pain in his leg and got unsteadily to his feet, using the wall of the tower to hold him up.

The girl paused, her hands still enclosed on Teyla's throat, but she had released the pressure enough which allowed a minimal amount of air to go into Teyla's lungs.

Sheppard stepped forward. "It's all right, you can let her go. I don't want you to hurt her. She is a friend," Sheppard said calmly yet firmly as he focused intently on the girl and trying not to look at Teyla.

The girl hesitated for a moment before she pulled Teyla back from the edge. She released Teyla and stepped back.

As Teyla rubbed her sore throat, she couldn't keep her eyes of the girl, wondering if she was going to attack again.

"Teyla, I suggest that you slowly come to me," Sheppard said as he kept his eyes on the girl. He had his hands held in the air the universal sign of meaning no harm.

Sheppard breathed a sigh of relief, but it didn't last long when he sensed someone else in the tower. He slowly turned around and saw Ronan standing in the doorway, his gun firmly in his hand ready to fire at a second's notice. Sheppard saw Ronan look at Teyla and when Ronan's knuckles turned white, Sheppard knew that he had seen the newly formed bruises on Teyla's neck.

Ronan was about to leap at the girl but Sheppard stepped in between them. "Calm down. The fight is over."

The look that Ronan shot Sheppard would have cut through a diamond, but Sheppard just ignored him and signaled for Teyla to come to the door, slowly so she wouldn't seem threatening.

The girl watched with suspicious eyes as Teyla walked over to Sheppard and Ronan.

"You're just going to leave her here?" Ronan asked incredulously when Sheppard had turned to the stairs.

"Uh, yeah," Sheppard answered as he signaled that they should go and gave Ronan a firm look when he didn't move. "That's an order, Ronan."

Ronan was about to argue but Teyla placed her hand on his arm. When he looked at Teyla, she was shaking her head, for she knew that it was best not to argue with Sheppard when he had made up his mind.

* * *

"Colonel Sheppard, you left the girl in the tower?" Dr. Weir asked wondering why the girl hadn't been securely locked in a cell.

"Yes, because I think that would be better than locking her up."

"Look, Sheppard, the girl is dangerous. We should return her to that forsaken planet and never dial that address again," Ronan said.

"Ronan, she was frightened and confused. She's all right now," Sheppard replied.

"I agree with Ronan. She is a danger. She attacked Dr. Beckett and then she attacked Teyla, who hadn't even posed a threat to her."

"She stopped trying to hurt Teyla when I asked her to. I know she won't attack Teyla or anyone else again," Sheppard said keeping his eyes steady and firm on Dr. Weir.

Dr. Weir sighed and refrained from rubbing her temple. "How can you be so sure?"

"I just know, Elizabeth," Sheppard said in a low voice but it was filled with conviction.

Dr. Weir nodded, knowing the look in Sheppard's eyes. "Very well. She is your responsibility and therefore if she causes trouble, you are going to have to deal with the consequences without a complaint _or_ a comment."

Sheppard agreed with a nod of his head.

Dr. Weir saw that Sheppard was still placing his weight on his uninjured leg. "Colonel, I want you to get some rest so your leg will heal."

"Of course, Dr. Weir. Ma'am," Sheppard replied.

Dr. Weir knew that Sheppard wouldn't rest because he would be up in the tower with the girl. "You are both dismissed."

"Colonel Sheppard," Dr. Weir called out.

Sheppard turned around and stood just inside the door. "Yes?"

"Why did you leave the girl up at the tower?" Dr. Weir asked keeping her eyes firmly locked onto Sheppard's eyes.

Sheppard drummed his fingers on the wall before he answered. "I let her remain in the tower because she likes it up there. It keeps her calm."

Weir nodded and dismissed Sheppard with a wave of her hand. When Sheppard left, she looked at the notes that she had taken while she had been told of what had happened. She wondered if Sheppard should be placing his trust in a girl who had tried to kill a member of his team, regardless of the fact that she had stopped when he had asked her to.

Weir hoped that Sheppard wouldn't get too attached to the girl in case she proved to be to dangerous to handle. She didn't want to think about what would happen if that was the case, but she knew she had to be prepared. That was the only way to protect the people who had come to depend on her and to protect Atlantis.

* * *

When Sheppard stepped out of Dr. Weir's office, he saw that Ronan was leaning against the wall and that Teyla was walking towards him.

"I thought Dr. Beckett's assistant was checking you out?"

"He did," Teyla nodded, "but now I am here to report to Dr. Weir. I see that you and Ronan have already spoken with her."

"Yes," Sheppard replied.

Teyla frowned, clearly knowing what Dr. Weir had decided and what Sheppard had said for their leader to make that decision.

Sheppard couldn't help but feel the tension between him and Teyla about the girl. Sheppard knew that their friendship was at risk, but the girl needed someone to be on her side and it seemed that he was the only one there to do the job.

Once Teyla had stepped into Dr. Weir's office, Ronan indicated with a look to Sheppard that he wished to speak with him, alone.

"I usually back you up, Sheppard, but this girl is dangerous. We have no idea who she is or what she can do."

"You're right about that Ronan, but she does listen to me, for whatever reason. She needs to be given a chance; just like the chance you were given."

"That was different," Ronan said knowing the chance that Sheppard had given him and hoping that Sheppard wasn't about to make a mistake this time with the girl.

"I really don't see the difference, Ronan. A lot of people here considered you dangerous and that we should have dropped you off on some distant planet."

Ronan sighed, not understanding why Sheppard couldn't see that the girl was a threat to not only Teyla and himself, but also Atlantis. "Look, Sheppard, I back you up on all of your decisions," Ronan said as he ignored the "yeah-right" look that Sheppard just gave him, "but this is one I can't support."

Sheppard nodded his head accepting that it was Ronan's choice to disagree or agree with him, but he was the team leader and it was his decision. "Ronan, I appreciate everything, but I have the situation handled. I have to get back."

Ronan watched as Sheppard limped away, wondering why the man was being so stubborn and blind. He knew that Sheppard only _thought_ he had the situation handled as well as the girl, but Ronan knew that he had better stay close and guard the girl from the shadows.

* * *

"Uh, hello," Sheppard said cautiously as he stepped up to the girl who hadn't moved or indicated that she knew of his presence.

"You don't talk much, do you?" Sheppard asked as he waited for the girl to give him some sort of sign that she understood what he was saying. When she didn't respond, he sighed audibly and wondered exactly what he had gotten himself into by becoming the girl's protector.

Sheppard looked into the girl's eyes and then looked at the sky. The cloudless sky was the purest blue he had ever seen. When he looked at the girl, he saw that her eyes were the same color.

"Well, since you don't speak, can't tell me your name and you seem to enjoy looking at the sky I'll call you Sky." Sheppard wasn't expecting the girl to respond but was surprised when she turned and looked him in the eye. She nodded her head once before her gaze returned to the sky that seemed to have her enchanted.

"I'm glad that you agree. At least, I hope that's why you nodded. Well, Sky, I guess I'll stick with you for a little while. Maybe I'll find out why you enjoy staring up at the sky so much." Sheppard leaned on railing and gazed at the sky, feeling as though he and the strange girl were two sentinels guarding over everything that lay beneath the vast blue sky.

* * *

guardianM3: Thanks to those who have reviewed this story so far. Sorry about the long wait. I hope you all will enjoy it.


	4. Chapter 4: Dr Beckett’s Observation

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 4: Dr. Beckett's Observation

Sheppard was walking down the corridor when McKay appeared. He was about to turn the corner and sneak away, when McKay called his name.

"Morning, McKay," Sheppard greeted withholding a sigh that badly wanted to escape.

"So, what is the status of the girl?" McKay asked ignoring Sheppard's greeting without a second thought.

"She's fine. How are you, Rodney?"

"That is not what I meant," McKay said his voice almost becoming shrill. "Who do you have watching the girl?"

"No one," Sheppard replied as he headed toward the mess hall.

McKay followed Sheppard down the corridor. "Are you crazy?"

"No," Sheppard replied simply as he nodded his head to one of the officers that walked past them.

"Look, I know it has been a few days and you've been spending all of your time with this girl up in the tower, but for one thing she doesn't even speak and she's been known to attack people! I just don't see how you can leave her without any supervision."

Sheppard had been in the tower with the girl while his leg healed. It was true that she hadn't spoken a word, but Sheppard could tell that she understood what he had said to her; at least he thought she did. Of course, Dr. Weir had sent Ronon to check on him constantly.

"McKay, she only attacked Teyla because she felt threatened. She's perfectly fine now and besides she has a name."

McKay's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "How exactly can she have a name when she doesn't speak?"

"I named her," Sheppard replied with a shrug, knowing what McKay was going to say about it.

"You named her? What did you name her? Xena?" McKay asked throwing his hands in the air reminding Sheppard of a chicken.

"No, that's a ridiculous name for her. Really, McKay, you're terrible at names. No, I named her Sky."

McKay gave Sheppard an annoyed and irate look.

Sheppard pointed toward the ceiling. "She likes to look at the sky."

McKay scoffed and tried to keep himself from yelling at Sheppard about being irresponsible and enchanted by this girl.

"Also her eyes are also the color of the sky," Sheppard added his voice sounding far away.

McKay rolled his eyes because he had made an educated guess that Sheppard was in deep with this girl and now he had some proof. He should have known the second he had spotted the girl in the stasis chamber that somehow Sheppard would fall for the girl.

They were just about to enter the mess hall when Teyla stepped out. They all came to a stop and waited for someone to speak.

Teyla looked from McKay to Sheppard. "John, I know Dr. McKay's feelings about this girl and I agree with him."

Sheppard wondered if his team had gotten together and talked about Sky. "Teyla, maybe we should talk about this later."

"John, I don't believe that you should place any of your trust into this girl," Teyla said interrupting Sheppard.

"Teyla, I understand that she hurt you, but she stopped when I told her too," Sheppard said as he shook his head, "there is something about her."

"Yeah, she's the damsel in distress and you have the hots for her," McKay replied with a snort and was about to make a Captain Kirk comment when Teyla spoke.

"I see that you will not listen to common sense. I have to go now." Teyla couldn't help but feel disappointed in Sheppard for not trusting his team's assessment. Teyla walked away, knowing that Sheppard wasn't ready to believe the truth about the girl.

"Great, now we are going to have tension in our team," McKay said.

"We usually do," Sheppard said as he waited until Teyla was out of sight before he entered the mess hall.

"Well, I'd rather not since we are always in intense situations."

"McKay…" Sheppard said warningly when Sergeant Banner walked up to them.

"Colonel Sheppard, Dr. Weir and Dr. Beckett would like to speak with you. Dr. Weir wishes to meet in the infirmary," said Sergeant Banner.

Sheppard nodded and turned toward the direction of the infirmary. He realized that he wasn't the only one headed in that direction. "McKay, why are you following me?"

"I want to hear what Dr. Weir and Dr. Beckett has to say about this girl," McKay answered sounding a little too happy about the meeting.

"Fine," Sheppard replied sourly not pleased that McKay was going to be there because he knew that scientist wouldn't be dissuaded.

* * *

Dr. Weir entered the infirmary and spotted Dr. Beckett standing next to a hospital bed talking with Major Carson. She hadn't had a chance to see Dr. Beckett since she had been planning the next few missions.

"I'm glad to see that you're back on your feet, Dr. Beckett," Dr. Weir said as she greeted the Major with a nod of her head. Major returned her greeting with a salute.

"Thank you, Dr. Weir. After getting knocked on the skull, I needed a few days to recuperate."

Sheppard and McKay entered the room. Dr. McKay hopped on the bed next to Dr. Beckett and clasped his hands together.

Dr. Weir raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms as she looked at McKay. "Hello, Dr. McKay. Do you need to see the doctor?"

McKay shook his head and glanced at Sheppard. "No, Dr. Weir. I'm just here to observe."

Major Carson held back a laugh and instead asked permission to be dismissed which Dr. Weir nodded her head in reply.

Once Major Carson left the infirmary, she turned her attention to Dr. Beckett. "Dr. Beckett, I would like you to talk about the information that you have gathered on the girl," Dr. Weir said as she gave Dr. McKay a warning look when she saw his mouth beginning to open.

"When I examined her, before she woke up and knocked me across the room, I noticed some strange marks on her skin."

"What kind of strange marks?" Dr. McKay asked as he leaned forward intrigued.

"I think that she had been experimented on," Dr. Beckett answered warily wondering how they would take the news especially Sheppard.

"What makes you say that?" Sheppard asked his eyes focused intently on Dr. Beckett waiting impatiently for the answer.

"As I said, I saw marks on her skin, such as around her heart and on her head as well as several other places. I also took a sample of her blood and checked her DNA. Her genetic code has been altered, but I'm not sure to what extent. I would need more DNA samples from her to run some tests."

"So, does she have the ancient gene?" McKay asked.

Beckett shook his head. "She doesn't have the Ancient gene."

"If what you say about her being experimented on is true, I don't think we should run any more tests on her," Sheppard said sternly.

"What if she has some diseases that could spread to us? Ever think of that, Sheppard?"

"I wouldn't worry, Dr. McKay, she is in perfect health. She was a little weak coming out of stasis that is why she passed out. She is actually a fast healer," Dr. Beckett said as he looked at Dr. Weir, wondering what she was thinking.

"I agree with Dr. McKay. I have to know how she has been altered. She may be a risk," Dr. Weir said.

"NO!" Colonel Sheppard shouted startlingly Dr. Beckett and Dr. McKay.

Dr. Weir looked right at Colonel Sheppard, making sure that their eyes met so he would understand who was in command. "Colonel Sheppard, are you going against my orders?"

Colonel Sheppard took a quick, calming breath before he answered. "Yes, I am. We can't do that to her. Probably if she saw Dr. Beckett again, she would panic. We could look at the images we got from the jungle planet. Can't we wait to see if the Ancient writing mentions anything?"

"All right, but I want her under guard 24/7. I mean it, Colonel Sheppard. I don't want to take any risks." Dr. Weir gave Sheppard her steel gaze and was pleased to see that Sheppard agreed with a nod of his head. Dr. Weir turned her attention to the one who hadn't been invited to the meeting. "How far have you come on the ancient translation Dr. McKay?"

"Still working on it," McKay said as he brushed away invisible lint from his pants.

"Very well, but I want as much information on this girl as soon as possible," Dr. Weir said.

"Her name is Sky," Sheppard said.

Dr. Weir raised her eyebrows as she looked at Sheppard. "You named her?"

"Yes. My name is better. Dr. McKay wanted to name her Xena."

"I didn't say such a thing! You said that I would have named her Xena if I were to name her," Dr. McKay said angrily wondering why he had allowed Sheppard to pull him into this conversation.

"Either way, you would have given her a lousy name," Sheppard replied enjoying the flustered look on Dr. McKay's face. Sheppard saw that Dr. Beckett was stifling a laugh.

"Enough. Dr. McKay I would like you to return to work on the translation. Colonel Sheppard, I don't have to tell you where to be because you already know. You two are dismissed."

Sheppard and Dr. McKay left the room still badgering each other.

Dr. Weir heard a snort and looked at Dr. Beckett whose face had turned red from trying to hold in his laughter. Dr. Weir shook her head, said goodbye and left the infirmary, with a little grin on her face.

* * *

guardianM3: Please review.


	5. Chapter 5: New Mission

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 5: New Mission

Dr. Weir stepped into one of two labs that they had at Atlantis. This particular lab was more for studying texts or writings photographed from stone than trying to discover how an alien device worked.

Papers, books and several laptops were scattered on the four desks in the room so that it looked as though it was an undergraduate's lab. She wasn't surprised to see Dr. Lucy Taylor standing next to McKay with a magnifying glass studying pictures of an ancient writing that Colonel Sheppard and his team. She also wasn't surprised that Dr. Taylor was arguing with Dr. McKay. It was quite interesting to watch especially since Dr. Taylor towered over McKay by about three inches.

Dr. Weir stepped up to the table and had to clear her throat three times before McKay noticed she was standing there.

"Ah, hello Dr. Weir, what can I do for you?"

"You asked me to come here," Dr. Weir said pointedly, wondering why Dr. McKay wasn't acting like himself.

"Oh, yes. Yes of course," Dr. McKay said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I assume that this has to do with the writing in the cave."

"Yes, yes it does."

"Dr. McKay, have you translated the Ancient writing found in the cave?"

Dr. McKay shuffled several photographs of the cave before he answered. "Well, actually, no."

"What do you mean?" Dr. Weir asked as she waited for Dr. McKay to work through his ego.

Dr. McKay sighed and looked at Dr. Weir feeling as though he had just blown up a lab.

"Well, it's gibberish."

"Gibberish?" Dr. Weir asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It is not gibberish, Dr. Weir. It's in code," Dr. Taylor said as she gave McKay an arrogant look as she flipped her red hair over her shoulder in irritation, even though it fell back towards her face since her hair didn't quite reach her shoulders.

"Do know how to solve the code?"

"Well, this kind of code is solved using a cipher. There is one word that will solve it."

"It is not a code. It is just gibberish."

"Listen Dr. McKay, I spent two years at Quantico studying how to break codes. I then spent four years with the Stargate program translating alien languages. I know the difference between a code and just some gibberish."

"Wow, two years and another four. You certainly wasted all those years playing around with words and numbers."

Dr. Weir cleared her throat to get the two doctors to return their attention back to her and to the conversation. "You think the cipher is in the cave?"

"They didn't exactly spend a lot of time looking at the cave, so something there must give us the key to solving the text," Dr. Taylor answered.

"So, now we have to go back to the cave and find the cipher."

"You want to return to a planet that has hostile creatures?" Dr. Taylor asked wondering if Dr. McKay was more than a whiny cricket.

"Well, I really don't want to go back but I really don't see a choice especially since Sheppard is so hung up on the girl. Oh, I'm sorry, _Sky_, that he would probably return to that planet and get the information himself."

"It may be best that we gather as much information about this girl. Perhaps this will also tell us why she was in an Ancient stasis chamber," Dr. Taylor said.

McKay shrugged. "She probably went into it by accident."

Dr. Weir didn't believe that Sky had gone into the stasis chamber by accident. She couldn't get rid of the feeling that Sky had been important to the Ancients for some reason.

"We'll gather the team together and tell them the new mission."

McKay's mouth hung open as he tried to talk so he could get Dr. Weir to change her mind. Dr. Weir was glad that McKay was speechless for once.

* * *

Sheppard, McKay, Teyla and Ronon were standing before Dr. Weir who was sitting at her desk. Of course, Dr. Weir's office was so organized that it looked as though the office had never been used. Dr. Weir had broken the news about the new mission to the team, except of McKay of course who had learned about it earlier.

"You wish for us to return to that planet?" Teyla asked wondering what was going on with Dr. Weir. Teyla hadn't been surprised that Dr. Weir had called the team together, but what she hadn't expected was the news of a new mission.

Dr. Weir looked at Sheppard and wondered what the Colonel was thinking. She returned her attention to Teyla. "Yes, it the only way to know for certain what has been done to Sky."

"Maybe she should come with us. She was able to take care of those creatures." Sheppard wasn't surprised at the shocked looks being shot in his direction.

"She is a warrior, there is no doubt that she can take care of herself. Besides, she may know something about those caves that we don't," Ronon said getting dark looks sent to him by Dr. McKay and Teyla.

McKay looked at Dr. Weir, wondering if she had also been affected by whatever had Ronon on Sky's side. "Yeah, sure, let's ask her. Wait I forgot, she doesn't talk!"

"She may not be able to talk, McKay, but she does seem to understand what we say," Ronon said with sincerity. As he had watched Sky and Sheppard, he had noticed that Sky would do as Sheppard asked without any hesitation. Ronon had wondered whether Sky had been playing some sort of game with them, but when he had looked into her eyes, he just knew that she wasn't trying to trick them.

Dr. McKay wondered if Ronon and Sheppard had been taken over by aliens or had been affected by some kind of mind control substance.

"If you take her with her, are you certain she wouldn't harm any members of your team?" Dr. Weir asked.

"I told you before that she won't hurt Teyla or anyone else." Sheppard looked directly into Dr. Weir's eyes, knowing that he shouldn't look away because she wouldn't believe him if he couldn't handle her gaze.

"I seem to recall that she did," McKay said.

"Fine, she won't hurt Teyla again. Look, she stopped when I asked her to. It is obvious that she doesn't like Teyla, but I know that she won't try to hurt her again."

"You're seriously not considering having that girl go along. Right, Dr. Weir?" McKay asked wondering if everyone around him had suddenly lost their minds.

Dr. Weir sat in silence for a moment, thinking about the consequences if she decided that Sky should go with them. She sighed and looked up at the team. "Very well, but I want you all to be careful. Not just from the creatures on the planet, but from her."

McKay was about to protest when Dr. Weir held up her hand to prevent him from opening his mouth. "I've made my decision and I believe that it is the right one and I do not want to hear any complaints." Dr. Weir looked around at the team, making sure that those who were likely to disagree with her decision, would accept her decision. "I want you all to prepare to leave in 12 hours. Colonel Yates and his team are going with you to back you up. You are all dismissed."

Dr. Weir waited until the team stepped out of her office before she let out a large sigh and placed her head in her hands. She hoped that she wasn't making a mistake that could cost them not only their friendship but also their lives.

* * *

Once the team had left Dr. Weir's office, Teyla said that she had to go get ready and left the three men behind to talk about the mission.

Sheppard watched Teyla as she walked away, heading towards the direction of her quarters. He had seen the frown on Teyla's face when Dr. Weir had announced that Sky would be going with them on the mission. He wondered if he could ever convince Teyla that Sky wasn't a bad person.

"I really think this isn't a good idea. I can't believe that you want this girl to come with us." McKay received one of Ronon's dangerous looks. "This is fine, because you are an excellent judge of character. We'll definitely be safe with you around."

"Look, we'll bring our best weapons and we have Colonel Yates and his team to back us up. There is no reason to worry about those creatures. This time we know what's out there," Sheppard said as he turned the corner knowing that McKay was going to follow because the scientist wasn't finished yet.

"Yeah, sure. We know what's out there but I'm more worried about one who is going to be with us."

"So, did Dr. Taylor tell you what to look out for?" Sheppard asked hoping that he could distract McKay long enough so he would stop complaining about Sky going to the mission with them.

"Yeah, yeah. She thinks she's as good with languages as Dr. Jackson."

"If you don't recall, Dr. Jackson did recommend her for the Stargate Program and was proud that she was selected for the Atlantis Expedition since he couldn't come," Sheppard pointed out, knowing that would not impress the great Dr. McKay.

"Well, whatever. Can you believe that she actually wanted to come? I mean, she is not fit to work in the field."

"I don't know, McKay, I've seen her shoot. She can handle herself," Ronon said.

"What, no way! I mean, even if she is good at pointed a weapon and firing on a fixed target, that does not mean she can handle herself when it comes to real, dangerous situations."

"Well, McKay, I know it wouldn't be hard for her to hide behind a tree and complain about it," Ronon said trying to keep a grin from appearing on his face when McKay's ears turned red.

Sheppard would have laughed at the continuing banter between McKay and Ronon, but his mind had turned to the mission and to Sky. He was concerned on how Sky would take it returning to the cave that had been something like her grave. He wished that she could talk to him and tell him whom she was and what had happened to her. He hoped that this mission would give them all of the information that they needed to help

* * *

guardianM3: Please give me some feedback to let me know how the story is doing so far.


	6. Chapter 6: Unexpected Encounters

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 6: Unexpected Encounters

McKay swatted at another insect that had decided to land on the back of his neck. He knew that the temperature on the planet had to be at least ten degrees more than it had been the last time which had to put the temperature in the high 90's with severely high humidity. As he walked behind Sheppard and Sky, he couldn't help but worry how Sky was going to react when they got to the cave.

He wondered why Teyla had remained with Captain Sampson and Captain Long at the Puddle Jumper. He thought that she would have wanted to keep a close eye on Sky.

McKay couldn't keep his eyes off of Sky worried that she would attack them at any moment. He supposed that since Teyla wasn't there, that he would have to be the one to watch out for Sky. Ronon was with them and he could probably stop her if she tried anything.

When she suddenly turned and looked at him with those strange eyes, he jumped.

McKay saw that Colonel Yates, who was walking on his left, was looking at him with two raised eyebrows.

McKay brushed away a nonexistent bug from his neck and looked to his right only to see vines wrapped around the trunks of several trees.

He frowned, trying to figure out how this could have happened to him. Walking through a monster infested jungle with a girl who couldn't even talk and whose actions were unpredictable.

He was about to ask when they were going to get to the cave when Sheppard signaled for them to stop.

"Ok, there is the cave. Colonel Yates, I want you and Lieutenant Garza to stay and guard the entrance to the cave. If you see a creature, don't fire your weapons at it even if it is coming right towards you I want you to just duck into the cave."

"Yes, sir," Lieutenant Garza said with a sharp nod of her head before she went to stand next to the entrance of the cave, scanning the jungle with her eyes.

Yates nodded his head and took position on the other side of the entrance while everyone else entered the cave.

The cave was just how they had left it, except Sky wasn't in the stasis chamber and the door to the chamber was open.

McKay began the search for the cipher but he kept one of his eyes on Sky. Sheppard and Captain Sampson were studying the stasis chamber. Ronon was standing near the entrance, just in case there was any trouble outside.

* * *

"Have you found the cipher yet?" Sheppard asked as he studied the load chamber on his gun for the third time.

"No, I have not found the cipher yet. It would help if you didn't ask me that question every five minutes."

"I think if you stop twitching every time you heard a sound that you would have found that cipher an hour ago," Ronon said as his gaze landed on Sky.

Her eyes were moving quickly in several directions as though she could hear things that Ronon could not.

"Yeah, then why don't you search for the cipher then instead of standing there like a burned out lamp," McKay said as he brushed away some dirt off a part of the wall so he could read the symbols beneath.

Ronon looked at McKay with a raised eyebrow and when McKay began mumbling nervously to himself, Ronon couldn't help but be pleased at McKay's uneasiness.

_ "Colonel Sheppard?"_ Teyla said over the radio.

"Yes, Teyla?" Sheppard asked.

Ronon could tell that Teyla's voice sounded strained. Ronon gripped his gun tightly, wondering what had happened and if Teyla had been hurt.

_"Is Captain Sampson with you?" _

"No," Sheppard answered.

_"He is missing. Captain Long and I checked the immediate area around the Puddle Jumper, but have not discovered any sign of where he has gone." _

"Why did Captain Sampson leave the Puddle Jumper?" Sheppard asked.

_"He said he was just doing a basic scout and wasn't going to go far."_

"We'll go check it out," Sheppard said as he signaled Ronon to follow him. "Keep looking for that cipher McKay."

"Colonel Sheppard, I would like to look for Captain Sampson since he is a member of my team," Colonel Yates asked.

"Of course, but radio me every five minutes. I don't want to take any chances," Sheppard said and nodded his head when Colonel Yates agreed.

"I think we already took a chance of coming back here in the first place," McKay said.

"McKay, find that cipher," Sheppard said warningly as he watched Yates and Garza leave to search for their missing comrade.

* * *

_"Colonel Sheppard, this is Colonel Yates, Lieutenant Garza and I found Captain Sampson, he's dead."_

"What did he die from?" Sheppard asked.

_"His life force has been sucked dry so that means that there is a Wraith on this planet," _Colonel Yates said.

_"Are you certain?"_ Teyla asked wondering why she hadn't sensed the creature before.

_"Yes,"_ Colonel Yates responded sharply.

"All right, Yates and Garza I want you to head to the Puddle Jumper."

"We never saw the wraith the first time we were here," Ronon commented.

"Yeah, well there is a wraith here which means we need to leave immediately. Have you found the cipher yet, McKay?"

"Uh, not quite yet," McKay said, already knowing how Sheppard was going to respond to his answer.

"Look, McKay, Dr. Taylor told you what to look out for so I don't understand why you haven't found the cipher yet!"

"Well, pardon me. I've just been in this cave for the last three hours trying to find the stupid cipher!"

"Hey, I think this is what you've been looking for, McKay," Ronon said.

Sheppard turned around and looked Ronon who was pointing at a few letters of Ancient writing near the entrance to the cave.

"Right, it's going to be right next to the opening of the cave," McKay scoffed as he walked over to Ronon and looked at the writing cut into the rock.

After several minutes of McKay staring at the writing, Sheppard was losing his patience. "Well, McKay, is it the cipher or not?"

"It appears to be," McKay said reluctantly as he took a picture of the writing.

"If that's it, I suggest we get out of here," Sheppard said.

"Right, you don't have to tell me twice," McKay said as he put away the camera.

They left the cave, Sheppard leading them, McKay and Sky in the middle while Ronon was positioned at the end of the line.

* * *

Sky paused in mid-step and turned around. Ronon was surprised when she had suddenly stopped that he almost ran into her.

Ronon looked behind him and saw why Sky had come to a sudden stop. "Sheppard, there's a Wraith behind us and he's coming up fast."

"All right, we'll have to make a run for the Puddle Jumper," Sheppard said as he started to run, making sure that everyone followed behind him. Sheppard grabbed his radio.

"We are about five hundred feet from your location. The Wraith is right behind us and we are going to need cover fire," Sheppard said into the radio.

_"You shall have it,"_ Teyla radioed back.

Sheppard hoped that they would make it to the Puddle Jumper in time and they would have a chance to receive the cover fire.

Sheppard was surprised when he saw Colonel Yates step out from behind a tree and fired at the Wraith.

"Ronon, I want you to get McKay and Sky to the ship. Yates and I shall hold the Wraith back as long as we can."

Ronon nodded and grabbed McKay by the sleeve of his coat. McKay was about to protest, but with one look from Ronon, McKay surprisingly and wisely kept his mouth shut. Ronon looked at Sky and was surprised when he saw that she was waiting for him to move.

Ronon moved towards the direction of the ship, dragging McKay behind him and saw that Sky was indeed following.

The Wraith jumped into the air and kicked Yates weapon out of his hand. Yates held back a scream as several bones in his hand broke instantly.

The Wraith slammed Sheppard into a tree causing his vision to become so blurred that he couldn't even see his own hand. After a few seconds, he felt a jagged pain coursing through his entire body.

Sheppard's vision cleared slightly enough so that he saw the Wraith jumped onto Colonel Yates, slamming him into the ground. Sheppard could almost see the inhuman glee on the creature's face as it looked towards him from only ten feet away.

_"Sheppard, McKay and I have made it to the ship but Sky's disappeared!"_ Ronon shouted through the radio.

Sheppard who was still unable to respond saw Sky appear from behind a tree.

"No, Sky!" Sheppard shouted when he saw that she was heading towards the Wraith and Colonel Yates.

Either Sky didn't hear Sheppard or she ignored him altogether. Sky connected with the Wraith, sending them both flying ten feet away from Yates.

Sheppard tried to sit up, but any movement caused his head to fill up with bubbles and pain to shoot through his entire body.

She raised Colonel Yates weapon and fired at the Wraith. Bullets struck the Wraith's chest and neck, but one bullet went through the Wraith's forehead.

The Wraith's body fell to the ground blood seeping out from its wounds.

Sky threw Colonel Yates over her shoulder and ran towards Sheppard. Sheppard was about to comment when he saw something moving within the trees about twenty yards away from their current position. He saw a flash of white hair and knew that there was more than one wraith on this planet.

He could barely move and there was another Wraith headed their way. He was about to tell Sky to get out of there when she picked him up and threw him over her shoulder. He didn't know whether to be thankful or completely flabbergasted, but that didn't last long when he saw the Wraith moving closer.

"McKay, get the Puddle Jumper's engines up and running. This is going to be a close one!" Sheppard shouted into his radio.

_"Right on it, Colonel and I suggest that you hurry up. Ronon has seen signs of more than one Wraith out there," _McKay said over the radio, sounding as though he still needed to take several deep breaths to recover.

"Don't I know it," Sheppard mumbled to himself as he raised his gun with difficulty fired off several shots towards the pursuing Wraiths.

"Fly us out of here, McKay."

"You don't have to tell me," McKay said as he used his mind to raise the ship off of the ground. With the ship's sensors, he could see that there were several life forms surrounding them, but he was far enough up that they wouldn't be able to access the ship.

As he used his mind to direct the ship, he couldn't help but think about the reasons Sky had to save the two Colonels. She had followed Sheppard's command to go with him and Ronon, but then she had disappeared when they had neared the ship. They hadn't realized that she had gone back to fight the Wraiths.

McKay thought that Sky was hiding something and that she may be far more intelligent than she seemed and perhaps she was just acting to get them to trust her. For whatever reason for Sky to involved in this ruse, McKay didn't know, but he was certainly going to find out.


	7. Chapter 7: Lab

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

guardianM3: Sorry about the late chapter. I was planning an anniversary party. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far and I apologize if I haven't sent a reply.

* * *

Chapter 7: Lab

Sheppard entered Dr. Weir's office and sat down on the chair in front of her desk. He waited a couple of moments for her to finish giving instructions to the person on the communications link.

He had been called to see her as soon as he left the infirmary. He wondered why she wanted to see him when he had already debriefed her about the mission. He had a feeling that it had something to do with Sky.

She finished and looked at him. "I apologize for that Colonel Sheppard. Now, you are here because I would like to discuss what happened on that planet."

"She has not just saved my life, but also the life of Colonel Yates," he said, wondering why he always seemed to be defending Sky when she must have proven herself by now.

"Yes, I see that she did. I commend her for that, but I still do not believe that we can place such blind trust in this girl."

"Dr. Weir, I know that Sky is different and we tend to be friends with those who are different. It took a long time before we trusted Teyla and her people and it took even longer to trust Ronon and for them to trust us."

"Colonel Sheppard, I always believe in keeping people chances, but trust is the one thing that is not easy to give or to achieve. Before you say anything else, given the fact that Sky saved Colonel Yates' live at a great risk to her own life, she is allowed to remain in Atlantis."

"Are you all right?" She asked noticing that he was a little pale.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Dr. Beckett says that I have a concussion, some bruised ribs and a lot of large bruises."

"So, I have heard. I believe that you should go rest. That's an order, Colonel Sheppard."

He nodded as he carefully stood up so he wouldn't agitate any of his injuries. He left her office just as she got another call. He wondered if Atlantis could go one day without any form of crisis.

* * *

McKay set his tray onto the table and took a seat across from Ronon. He ignored the dark look that was sent his way by his comrade as he dug his fork into the mashed potatoes.

McKay lifted a forkful of mashed potatoes to his mouth and took a bite.

Ronon was relieved that McKay was just going to eat his lunch and not say a word, when McKay set his fork down on the tray and looked straight at Ronon. Ronon sighed because he knew what McKay was going to say to him.

For ten minutes, McKay talked about Sky and Ronon blocked out the entire one-sided conversation. When McKay had stopped talking, Ronon returned his attention but unfortunately, he wasn't finished.

"Then she vanished and heads back to Sheppard and Yates, saves them and returns to the ship. You're not really interested in all of this, are you Ronon?" McKay asked when he saw Ronon's bored expression.

"Look, McKay, I agree with you that there is something about Sky, but so far, the only thing she has done wrong was attack Teyla," Ronon said as he took a piece of his roll and dipped it into his gravy.

"Yes, but there is just something about her that's not right and it is not the fact that she doesn't talk, yet seems to understand what we are saying."

Ronon looked at McKay and didn't comment. He couldn't help but be thankful she could take down a Wraith quickly and efficiently.

McKay made a decision that he should have done a long time ago. "I'm going to go to Dr. Weir and let her know what's been going on."

"You don't have anything to bring to Dr. Weir," Ronon pointed out.

"Ok, you're right. If I went to Dr. Weir without any evidence, I will just be brushed aside," McKay said as he bit his lip trying to think of a way to gather evidence against Sky.

Ronon saw the light in McKay's eyes and knew what he was going to ask him. "McKay, I'm not in the mood to play detective."

"What? Come on, Ronon. You know that…"

"…there's something about this girl," Ronon finished McKay's sentence. "Yeah, McKay, you've said that several times."

"You know, you tend to be the non-trusting of anyone member of this team. Why do you act as though you do trust her?"

Ronon sighed and looked at McKay. "Sheppard trusts the girl and she seems harmless enough."

"Harmless enough?" McKay repeated his voice at a high pitch. "You do remember that she tends to snap necks?"

"Yes and she also tends to shoot Wraiths," Ronon pointed out.

McKay frowned and his eyes narrowed. "So, because she doesn't like the Wraith, you like her?"

"Yes," Ronon replied firmly. "Besides, aren't you supposed to be working on using the cipher to solve the Ancient writing?"

"Well, yes I already have," McKay said as he sat up proudly.

Ronon crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

"I wrote a computer program that will take the cipher and solve the Ancient writing," McKay explained wanting to go into further detail on how simple it was for him to do while others would not have accomplished such a task.

"Well, maybe you should go check on it to see if it is done."

"It won't be finished for at least another hour," McKay said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Perhaps you should check on it anyway." The threatening tone in Ronon's voice had McKay backing out of the door, mumbling that it was a good idea to check the program to see if it had done its job.

Once Ronon knew that McKay was gone, he unfolded his arms and sighed, knowing that the Sky situation was only going to get worse.

* * *

"What did you find out, Dr. McKay?" Dr. Weir asked sitting at her desk with her hands folded together before her.

He was standing before her desk with his hands clasped together behind his back. She took that as a sign that he has accomplished his task, but there was something wrong.

"Well, Dr. Weir. I managed to create a program that used the cipher and translated the Ancient writing at the same time."

"What did it say?" She asked cutting him off before he explained in explicit detail of everything, he had done.

"Oh, you know how Ancient writing tends to be. All poetic and occasionally it will have double meanings," He said shaking his head at how silly it seemed to him that the Ancients were so fickle with their writings.

"McKay," She said her voice tinted with annoyance and impatience.

He cleared his throat, brought his hands from behind his back, and placed his palms flat on the desk and leaned toward her.

"The only pertinent information was that there is a lab located in Atlantis. The remaining information just has to do with that planet."

Dr. Weir raised an eyebrow at the mention of a lab in Atlantis. "What did it say about the planet?"

"Oh, every bit of writing contained the names and details of all the plants and the wildlife on the planet," McKay said wondering why the Ancients had wasted their time writing that on the walls of the cave.

"Hmm," Dr. Weir said as her mind returned to the idea of the lab.

"Hmm?"

"I want you to look through the Ancient Archives and search for all of the labs located in Atlantis."

McKay held back a laugh at the absurd idea. "No offense, Dr. Weir, but why would I need to look at the Ancient Archives?"

"Whoever left that information wanted us to find out that there is a lab in Atlantis and the fact is that it may be hidden," Dr. Weir pointed out.

McKay nodded his head. "What do you think is in the lab?"

"Hopefully, something to defeat the Wraith, but if an Ancient had discovered a way to do so, they wouldn't have had to abandon Atlantis and hide it beneath the ocean."

"I'll see what I can find but we both know that the Ancients enjoy being mysterious."

Dr. Weir dismissed Dr. McKay and when he had left the room, she leaned back in her chair. There were several scenarios playing in her mind, but she knew that none of scenarios had even a slight possibility of being the right one.

* * *

Sheppard intended to follow Dr. Weir's order to get some rest but he wouldn't be able to do so until he made sure that Sky was comfortable. He didn't want her sleeping in the tower because he wanted her to become part of the people living in Atlantis.

Sheppard led Sky to his quarters to explain to her that she couldn't sleep in the tower every night.

"Right, see this is my room or sometimes we call it quarters. I guess it doesn't matter to you what we call it. Anyway, you will be in the room next door to mine, so just in case you feel uncomfortable," Sheppard said knowing that somehow Sky had understood every word he had said, but wondered why she was unable to respond.

He watched as she stepped away from him and walked slowly around the room; brushing her hand along the furniture as though, she not only wanted to see the object but to get a feel of it. When she stopped abruptly at a blank portion of the wall, he took a step towards her, wondering why she had stopped.

He was about to say something when she placed her hands on the wall and moved them in a circle. Then, about a three foot section of the wall disappeared leaving a dark opening.

"How did you do that?" Sheppard asked not able to believe that he never knew about the secret door.

Sky just looked at Sheppard before she looked at the opening in the wall. Sky moved in front of Sheppard and blocked the dark opening from his path.

Sheppard wondered why Sky was blocking his path and what was in the darkness. Then Sheppard heard a menacing, feral growl and wondered why Sky had done that.

* * *

guardianM3: Don't forget to review.


	8. Chapter 8: Mutant

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

guardianM3: Sorry about the long wait, I had a bit of writer's block. Please don't hesitate to review.

* * *

Chapter 8: Mutant

Sky pushed Sheppard out of the way, as a beast came flying into the room. He saw that the creature had long white hair, an almost human shaped head with a lot of strange lumps. He realized that when he studied the face a little more, he could see that the creature had once been a Wraith.

Sheppard couldn't believe that a Wraith had been in Atlantis without them detecting it. Several theories were running through his mind about the mutated Wraith, but he quickly changed his focus on the situation.

As Sky fought the Wraith, Sheppard activated his headset for a general broadcast. "We have a Wraith in the city. Repeat we have a Wraith in the city." Before he could give the location, the Wraith picked Sky up and threw her at Sheppard, sending them crashing to the floor.

Sheppard held back a painful groan as he got to his feet. He grabbed for his weapon and was going to fire at the creature, but Sky, who had already gotten to her feet, was blocking the target.

He watched as the Wraith shoved Sky, turned and ran out of the room at an inhuman speed.

Sky reacted without pause and went after the Wraith.

"Sky, wait!" Sheppard yelled as he ran after her and the Wraith too distracted to notice that his headset had been knocked off of his head.

* * *

_"We have a Wraith in the city. Repeat we have a Wraith in the city." _

Ronon stopped cleaning his gun, set down the cloth and quickly put the gun back together. He grabbed his second gun, which he had already cleaned, and ran out the door. He activated his headset, "Chuck, do you have the location of the Wraith?"

"_Not yet_," Chuck answered, causing Ronon to frown darkly as he turned down a corridor heading towards Sheppard's room, knowing that was were Sheppard was supposed to be.

Ronon was about to ask Chuck why they hadn't detected the Wraith, but he figured that the Wraith would soon make its presence known.

Ronon knew that Dr. Weir had ordered Sheppard to get some rest, but the Lieutenant Colonel was well known for not obeying orders whenever Sky was around.

He heard shouting coming from around the corner. He slowed down, both of his guns his fingers already resting on the triggers. He brought his guns first around the corner before him.

He saw something running towards him, but it was moving so fast that he couldn't determine what the blur was but he could see Sky running behind the blur.

Ronon fired at the Wraith but each shot missed the creature by several inches.

Ronon watched as the Wraith turned towards him. Before Ronon could fire off any more shots, the Wraith punched Ronon in the chest, sending him flying into the wall. Ronon gasped as he felt air leaving his lungs and heard several bones cracking.

Ronon looked up and saw Sheppard running towards him. He blinked, trying to beat back the darkness that threatened to take him under.

Just before Ronon lost consciousness, he saw Sky running after the Wraith and he hoped that she would be able to stop the creature before it could destroy them all.

* * *

"Chuck, do you know the location of the Wraith?" Dr. Weir asked, pacing back and forth in front of the workstation, wondering why Sheppard hadn't responded to her calls.

"I'm working on it!" Chuck said as he tried again to locate the Wraith.

Dr. Weir was a little surprised at Chuck's outburst, but understood that he was frustrated.

"I found it. It's heading this way!" Chuck shouted as he brought up on the screen the corridor leading to the Gate Room, where a red dot was quickly moving towards them.

"Everyone, get out of here!" Dr. Weir ordered, knowing that the civilians had to leave the gate room to allow the soldiers to take care of the Wraith.

The civilians did as they were ordered, while the soldiers pulled out their weapons and fired at the Wraith when it ran into the room.

The Wraith roared in anger as it struck down the half a dozen soldiers in less than a minute. The Wraith than turned its attention to Dr. Weir, who was trying to think of a way to escape from the creature.

Dr. Weir gasped as she backed up and bumped into the workstation as the creature jumped up onto the railing and growled, its razor sharp teeth gleaming.

Before Dr. Weir could move, Sky came running into the room and knocked the Wraith away from Dr. Weir, sending the creature crashing to the floor.

Dr. Weir got as far away as she could from the battle, but she couldn't help but watch as Sky blocked several of the Wraith's blows.

Sky kicked the Wraith in its midsection and sent it crashing into the Stargate. The Wraith howled in rage as it jumped to its feet and lunged at Sky, with knife like nails growing from the creature's fingertips.

Sky tried to sidestep the creature, but it had sensed the movement and its claws sunk into Sky. Dr. Weir saw that Sky had several cuts on her arms and saw blood dripping onto the floor.

When Sky leapt at the Wraith, Dr. Weir saw a flash of silver and heard the Wraith cry out.

Dr. Weir watched as the Wraith fell to the floor and knew that it was dead because of the large gash across the creature's throat.

Dr. Weir looked at Sky and was shocked to see blood seeping from several wounds on her chest. The knife that Sky had used to kill the Wraith fell out of her hand as she fell to the floor.

Teyla entered the room, not lowering her weapon until she checked to make sure that the Wraith was dead. "Dr. Weir, are you hurt?" Teyla asked as she went over to Dr. Weir.

"I'm fine, but Sky needs medical assistance," Dr. Weir said as she came down the stairs and went over to Sky, using her jacket to try and stop the endless flow of blood.

Teyla used her headset to call for a medic, which wasn't necessary because several medics came bursting into the room caring gurneys and medical supplies. The medics split up, working on the injured soldiers and Sky.

"Is Colonel Sheppard all right?" Dr. Weir asked stepping out of the medics' way.

"Yes, he is with Ronon," Teyla answered knowing that Dr. Weir was concerned about Sheppard.

"I need to speak with him immediately," Dr. Weir said already knowing that she wasn't going to like the answers that he was going to give her.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9: Secret Lab

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 9: Secret Lab

Sheppard stood before the doorway where the mutant Wraith had come from and waited until the room had been secured by Colonel Smith and his team. McKay and Teyla waited silently beside him.

Dr. Weir entered the room and stood next to Teyla. Sheppard gave Dr. Weir a nod. He had explained to her what had happened and wasn't surprised that Dr. Weir was weary about the secret room that wasn't on the schematics of the city.

Colonel Smith and his team returned to the room. "It's a lab," Colonel Smith said as he signaled his team to stand down.

"Yes, I know what it is but what I don't know is what it is doing here," Sheppard said, being able to see into the room since the lights had been turned on.

"This was never on the schematics of the city," McKay said.

Sheppard was about to point out the fact that had already been determined but decided he wasn't in the mood to argue with McKay. "Ok, then that would make it a secret lab. Now all we have to do is find out what exactly was done it that lab and why."

"Dr. McKay, I want you and Dr. Zelenka to work on finding out what the lab had been used for. I'll send Dr. Zelenka along and if you need any additional support, just let me know," Dr. Weir ordered before she left to write a report of the Wraith incident.

"Sheppard, I guess all we can do is sit and wait until they are done," Teyla said wondering what was going through Sheppard's mind right now. Before Sky, Teyla could easily read what was on his mind, but lately it had been a mystery. Of course, Teyla knew that it probably had something to do with Sky, but what he was thinking was like trying to break open a rock with a stick.

"Yes, you're right, Teyla. I'll be in the infirmary so when you find some information of value, you'll know where to contact me." Sheppard turned and left

"Not a word, McKay, not a word," Teyla said as she watched Sheppard walking away.

McKay closed his mouth that had opened to spew out a comment or two. He shrugged and decided that he had better get started to solving the secret lab mystery and perhaps a chance to find out more about Sky.

* * *

"Would you look at that?" Dr. Zelenka said as an image appeared above the workstation that he was working on.

McKay sighed wondering why it was taking so long to find anything about Sky and her real identity. He wished that Dr. Zelenka would leave him alone and let him do his work.

McKay turned to look at the projection that Dr. Zelenka had in the center of the room. "It's just a 3-D image of a human," McKay said as he turned back to his workstation and began to read through next page of Ancient writing.

Dr. Zelenka refused to be baited by McKay and get tangled into a long, drawn out argument. "Actually, Rodney, this isn't just any human, it's Sky."

McKay spun turned around and rushed over to the workstation where Dr. Zelenka had been working where a minimized image projected before Dr. Zelenka. "Radek, are you sure that it's her?"

"Yes, look at the picture, it is obviously Sky," Dr. Zelenka said as he pushed a few buttons to make the image focus on the face.

McKay nodded once he had studied the image. "Get all of the information that you can about her. I'm going to work on figuring out why that Wraith was in this lab and what had been done to it."

"Hello, Dr. Zelenka," Dr. Taylor said as she stepped into the room carrying a laptop in her hands.

"Dr. Taylor, I'm glad that you are here to assist us with going through all of this information," Dr. Zelenka said with a warm and welcoming smile. He was secretly glad that he wouldn't be alone in a room with McKay.

McKay turned and looked at Dr. Taylor with a look of scorn on his face. "Gee, I can't seem to recall asking Dr. Weir to send anyone to assist us."

"No, you didn't Dr. McKay, but Dr .Weir believed that it would be wise for me to be here since I am the foremost expert on the Ancients in Atlantis."

"Then why weren't you here before? Did you have to beg to be here?"

Dr. Taylor smiled sweetly at Dr. McKay. A certain smile that she reserved when someone pushes her buttons a little too much. "No, of course I didn't have to do such a thing. I just finished another project, so Dr. Weir sent me here."

"Now, Dr. McKay," Dr. Taylor said losing her smile as she set her laptop on the workstation and plugged it in, "I'm ready to get to work, so I suggest that you do the same."

Dr. Zelenka prayed silently that McKay wouldn't continue to argue with Dr. Taylor and when McKay returned to his workstation mumbling to himself, he sent a prayer of thanks to whoever had answered his prayer. Dr. Zelenka wondered how long the peace would last.

* * *

Dr. Weir, Teyla, Sheppard, and Ronon were in Dr. Weir's office waiting for Dr. Zelenka and McKay to begin giving their report about what they had found in the lab.

"Where is Dr. Taylor?"

"Well, Dr. Weir, she decided to remain in the lab to continue translating the files," Dr. Zelenka explained.

"Very well, what do you have so far?" Dr. Weir asked.

"We discovered reports about Sky and the Wraith that had escaped from the lab. Apparently, the Ancients who created that lab were studying Sky and the Wraith extensively," McKay said.

"Are you saying that the Ancients were doing experiments on her?" Sheppard asked.

"Yes, but Dr. Taylor and I believe that it was just one Ancient and he was doing secret experiments on her and a Wraith that he had captured. Dr. McKay believes that such a feat would have involved several Ancients, especially since it would have been difficult to bring a Wraith into Atlantis undetected."

"It says the subject, the Wraith, became stronger. The subject's intelligence had also increased as well as its skills," McKay stated, shockingly choosing not engage Dr. Zelenka in a verbal battle.

"So, this Ancient was trying to increase the power of the Wraith?" Teyla asked wondering why anyone would ever give the Wraith more power.

Dr. Zelenka cleared his throat, picturing in his mind how everyone was going to react with what he was going to say next. "No, the Ancient was trying to create a super soldier out of her and to have some sort of protection from the Wraith since when it fed on her, she didn't age."

"She didn't age? How is that possible?" Teyla asked.

"I don't know exactly, but the journal does mention that he had taken a sample from her before he brought her to his lab. He had also gained a sample from one of the other tribes. She was at least five hundred years old and the other subject was twenty-eight. She had something strange in her genetic code, something he had never seen before. She was a different being from the tribe." Dr. Zelenka looked at Dr. Weir and wondered what she was thinking.

"Wait, one thing I don't understand is if she had been giving advice to the leader of her tribe, why is it….uh…she uh…" Sheppard asked stumbling over the words as he thought about what an Ancient had down to Sky.

"Right, why is she not smart now? He placed some type of device in her brain so she would obey him or any Ancient. He had it so she couldn't really think on her own. He brought her to a primal stage. So since Sheppard and others on the base have the Ancient gene she will obey them."

"She has been turned into a mindless, obedient slave," McKay said feeling disgusted at what the Ancient had done to a human being or at least a being with thoughts and feelings.

"I also think she can detect the Wraith," Dr. Zelenka added.

"She has Wraith in her?" Ronon asked.

"No, not at all, but I think that is why she doesn't like Teyla, because she can detect the Wraith gene in Teyla."

"Can we remove the device?" Sheppard asked knowing that something had to be done to free Sky.

"It is located in her brain so removing it won't be easy."

"Hold on. You said she had to obey the commands of the Ancient or the one with the gene without any resistance, right. Then, why is it when Sheppard ordered her to leave him behind, she refused?" Ronon asked.

"That's right," McKay said with a frown as he thought about how Sky could have disobeyed an order.

"It is possible that the Ancient had programmed it so she would risk her life for the Ancient, no matter if he ordered her to go," Teyla said.

Sheppard shook his head. "No, I don't think so. There have been at least a couple of times that I've issued a specific order and she refused."

"Well, what were the circumstances?" Dr. Weir asked thinking about what had occurred just hours ago.

"Someone's life was in danger," Sheppard said.

"If she was here in some secret lab, how did she end up on the jungle planet?" Teyla asked.

"I don't know. The journal just ends," Dr. Zelenka said as he shrugged his shoulders apologetically.

"So, we still don't know how she left this lab and was encased in some sort of crystal that prevented her from aging on another planet," McKay said biting his lip, taking it as a challenge to test his intelligence.

"She was freed from the crystal when I touched it, since I have the Ancient gene."

Sheppard rolled his eyes at McKay. "More like the synthetic Ancient gene." Sheppard set his chin in his hand and shook his head. "No, I don't think you freed her, McKay."

"What now Sheppard? If she can be controlled by an Ancient I bet that an Ancient or someone with the gene, synthetic or not could have released her from that crystal."

"You did touch the crystal, but nothing happened. There was no lock or symbols to show that the crystal was going to open. She came out when we were being attacked by those creatures."

"What are you saying? You think she sensed we were in danger and somehow broke through the crystal?" Teyla asked.

"She is supposed to protect an Ancient no matter what? Right?" Sheppard asked, feeling a little sick at the thought that someone would be forced to risk his or her life without their consent.

"All right, these are all fine theories, but we have to decide what are we going to do with her?" Ronon asked.

"Well, we should remove this control device from her," Dr. Zelenka said.

"After she gets the device removed, how will she react?" Teyla asked.

"That is my concern as well. She may become violent. I believe it would be best to restrain her," Dr. Weir said.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. She doesn't seem to like being in an infirmary and she's not going to like being restrained," Sheppard said with concern.

Dr. Weir looked directly at Sheppard, knowing that she had to make her point or he would try to get her to back down. "It is for the safety of everyone in Atlantis as well as her own safety."

Sheppard sighed. "All right, if it is the only way, then I guess we have to do it." He didn't like the fact that Sky was going to be restrained and he had a feeling that she wasn't going to like it either.

* * *

guardianM3: Please review.


	10. Chapter 10: Freedom

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 10: Freedom

Dr. Beckett looked at Sky's x-rays one more time before he turned to speak to Sheppard and Dr. Weir who had been waiting for nearly half an hour while he planned the surgery.

"This will be a difficult procedure. The chip is close to the brainstem and there are several arteries surrounding it," Dr. Beckett warned as pointed to the chip in the x-ray.

Sheppard remained silent, knowing that Dr. Beckett was one of the best doctors he had ever known and he was the only chance they had to help Sky.

Dr. Weir nodded her head in understanding and waited for Dr. Beckett to continue.

"We can't know if the surgery will be a success and the complications on removing the chip may kill Sky. Are you certain that you want to do this? I know that we are unable to ask for Sky's approval, but I am concerned that she doesn't have a choice."

"We don't really have much of a choice, Dr. Beckett. We have to help her in any way that we can. We owe her that much," Dr. Weir said.

"We have complete trust in you Dr. Beckett," Sheppard said knowing that they had to at least try. If they couldn't remove the chip from Sky's brain, then she would remain a slave of the Ancients forever.

"Thanks, Colonel, I appreciate your confidence in me and I'll try my best to remove the chip. You may all observe the surgery if you like."

"Unfortunately, I have some things I have to attend to," Dr. Weir said as she nodded to Sheppard and left.

"I'll be watching," Sheppard said as he rose from the chair and left the room. He acknowledged with a wave of his hand that he had heard Dr. Beckett mention that the surgery would begin in a couple of hours.

* * *

Sheppard didn't hear anyone enter the viewing room but he had sensed someone enter the room and looked to his right to see Ronon gazing emotionless at the ongoing surgery.

"I see that Dr. Beckett and his team have barely started."

Sheppard nodded his head. It felt that six hours had already gone by when in reality it had only been forty-five minutes. He looked at Ronon, "Yeah, it's going to be a long one."

"How are your wounds by the way?" Sheppard asked Ronon. Sheppard couldn't believe that Ronon was walking around unaided and he had been at the meeting earlier knowing that the warrior must have been in a great amount of pain at the time.

"Healing," Ronon said his eyes never leaving the surgery.

Sheppard nodded his head and decided it was best to leave it alone for now. He considered ordering Ronon to go and get some rest, but decided that Ronon would have responded by hitting him. Sheppard's gaze returned to the surgery and he was relieved to know that Ronon was going to stand there with him until the end.

* * *

"It will be some time before she wakes up," Beckett said as he stepped into the viewing room after six hours of surgery. He looked so exhausted that it was as though he had run two marathons and had done a couple of triathlons.

"Do you think it worked?" Sheppard asked watching as two of Dr. Beckett's assistants transferred Sky out of surgery and brought her into the recovery room.

"We shall see when she wakes up. I must warn you that her mind may have been damaged by the Ancient before the chip was every placed into her brain."

"Right," Sheppard said absentmindedly as he pictured a cruel Ancient doing terrible things to Sky.

Dr. Beckett placed his right hand gently onto Sheppard's shoulder. "I understand how you feel, John, but we must have some faith that Sky will be all right."

Sheppard smiled weakly as Dr. Beckett nodded to Ronon and left the room.

Sheppard rubbed the back of his neck trying to loosen the muscles that had tightened due to the fact that his eyes had remained on the surgery for six hours.

"You all right, Sheppard?" Ronon asked as he turned to look at the Colonel.

"Yeah, I'm fine and I hope Sky will be too."

Ronon nodded not needing to say a word to what fears had been playing through Sheppard's mind for the past six hours.

* * *

Dr. Beckett checked Sky's vitals and noted it on her chart. Dr. Beckett had only been able to sleep for a few hours before he had the urge to check in on Sky. Even though it had only been four hours since the Ancient chip had been removed from Sky, her recovery time was faster than anyone else he had ever treated. He hoped that Sky would wake up soon so she would be able to them who she was and where she had come from.

He turned to go but he heard something snap and he recognized the source of that sound. It was the sound of restraints being broken.

Before Dr. Beckett could turn his head and look, he felt a hand grab onto his throat. He felt himself being lifted up off of the floor and slammed against the wall. As he hung there, his eyes looked down to see Sky's eyes burning into his own.

Dr. Beckett was glad that he wasn't unconscious again except for the fact that was being strangled by someone whom he had freed from being a mindless slave.

"What have you done to me?" Sky asked in a raspy voice.

Dr. Beckett struggled to speak, but all that came from his throat was choking noises.

Sky must have realized that she wouldn't get any answers from Dr. Beckett if he couldn't speak. She set him down onto his feet and released some of the pressure that she had been applying on his throat.

Dr. Beckett coughed as air flowed into his lungs. He tried to think of words that would sooth Sky's anger and fear, but his mind was too considered with panic about needing to breathe and fear for his life.

"Let him go," said Sheppard as he stepped into the room his weapon pointed at Sky.

Dr. Beckett would have sighed in relief but Sky tightened her grip on his throat prevented him.

* * *

"Please release Dr. Beckett, all he did was to help you," Sheppard said as he debated whether to drop his weapon or not. He didn't want Sky or Dr. Beckett to get hurt, but he couldn't be certain that Sky wouldn't hurt Dr. Beckett. Her eyes had gone from the blue of a sunny day to the dark, stormy blue of a storm on the horizon.

"Help me? You are one of them! One of those so-called Ancients. I can smell it within you," Sky yelled her hand tightening a little more on Dr. Beckett's throat.

"Look," Sheppard said as he laid down his weapon his eyes never wavering from Sky, "I don't want to hurt you. You need to understand, yes, some of us here have the Ancient gene, but we are very different from the Ancients. It wasn't all of the Ancients who did this to you; it was just one of them. You must remember that, don't you?"

"I…I don't remember. All I remember is the cold." Her eyes darkened, going to a place and a time that she could never forget. "You put me in this place and restrained me!"

"Well, that wasn't my idea," Sheppard replied with a shrug.

"John!" Dr. Beckett choked out.

Sheppard noticed that Dr. Beckett was starting to turn blue and decided that he had better get Sky to realize the good doctor soon. "Look, an Ancient put a device in your head so he could control you. All that Dr. Beckett did was to remove that device. You were restrained because we didn't want you to hurt yourself or any else."

Sheppard paused and waited a moment for Sky to absorb what he was telling her and then he continued in a softer, understanding tone. "You woke up confused, didn't you? And you panicked since you were in the infirmary. It's a place of healing, not a place where we do experiments, ok?"

Sky seemed to study Sheppard for a moment before she released her grip on Dr. Beckett's throat and watched as Dr. Beckett walked briskly to Sheppard.

Sky looked from Sheppard to Dr. Beckett and then back at Sheppard. Her blue eyes were showing a mixture of emotions that Sheppard couldn't figure out what was on in Sky's mind. He didn't know if she could be trusted or if she felt that he was the one who couldn't be trusted.

Sheppard didn't know what to say or what to do at that moment and he wondered if he ever would be able say something to her that would make everything all right.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11: Determined

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

guardianM3: The only thing I have to say is that this story isn't over yet.

* * *

Chapter 11: Determined

Ronon moved cautiously, swinging the two short staves in downward arcs and brought them together before he pulled them up towards him. He released a breath and then breathed in deeply before he began a series of fast-paced movements and flowing strikes.

He stretched his muscles to the end of its limits and when he felt the first twinge of pain, he pulled them a little further and when the pain flashed through him, he pulled back to release the pain.

He continued at a less rapid pace of thrusting, slashing and quick footwork. He focused on his skills and not on the pain of his injuries.

He tried to avoid the pain that would shake his torso as though he had been hit by a war hammer but every few moments of exertion, he felt that hammer strike him.

He turned slightly and saw that Teyla has entered the room. "You have improved," Teyla said as she crossed her arms and nodded her head in approval.

"Yes, I have," Ronon replied as he carefully lowered the two staves so that they were pointing downward.

"What's wrong, Teyla?" Ronon asked seeing the troubled shadows in Teyla's eyes.

"I do not trust Sky. There is something about her that is not right and I fear that she will harm Sheppard."

"Maybe she is hiding something?" Ronon suggested having had that feeling ever since Sky had awakened.

"Yes, that may be it," Teyla nodded her head slowly. "I just can't believe that she hasn't remembered anything about her past."

"We won't know until she tells us which I don't believe is going to be anytime soon."

Teyla nodded her head but the great look of concern remained in her eyes.

"Would you like to spar?" Ronon asked hoping that it would give Teyla some time to release her pent up emotions.

"You are injured and it wouldn't be a fair sparring match. When you are healed enough, I shall take you on that offer."

Ronon nodded his head accepting the decision to have the match later. He watched Teyla leave the room and decided he had done enough training for the day.

* * *

Dr. Weir entered the secret lab and wasn't surprised to see that McKay and Taylor were arguing. She had hoped that the two scientists would have learned to work together and not spend precious time arguing.

Dr. Weir cleared her throat three times before they noticed that she was standing in the lab.

"Ah, Dr. Weir, perfect timing as usual," McKay said as he plastered a smile on his face.

Dr. Weir looked at McKay and knew by the way that he nervously shuffled some of his notes that he hadn't been prepared to give her any information, if he had found anything useful. Dr. Weir turned and looked at Dr. Taylor.

"I've found something quite interesting Dr. Weir," Dr. Taylor said excitedly as she rose from her chair.

Dr. Weir hoped that McKay wouldn't interrupt as she addressed Dr. Taylor. "What is it?"

"It's a gate address," Taylor said pointing at the computer screen that had the address.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Taylor, how exactly is that interesting?" McKay asked with a snort.

Dr. Taylor ignored McKay and focused on Dr. Weir. "The gate address is not listed in the Ancient database."

"There may be several that are not," Dr. Weir pointed out.

"Yes, ma'am, that is true, but I going to this address may lead us to finding the answers to our questions about why this one wasn't in the database and our questions about Sky."

"Maybe it wasn't in the database because it is too dangerous or that the planet is inhabitable. Did you ever think of that, Dr. Taylor?"

"Yes, Dr. McKay," Taylor said venomously before she turned to speak to Dr. Weir in a more pleasant and respectful tone. "I believe it would still be beneficial to send a MALP to the planet. Then, we shall know why this particular planet wasn't included in the database."

Dr. Weir considered for a few moments if the benefits of such a mission would outweigh the risks involved. She had made several difficult decisions since they had arrived in Atlantis and even before when she had led Stargate Command.

"Very well, I'll let the gate room know the address and have the MALP prepared. I'll alert Sheppard, Teyla, Colonel Yates and his team. Dr. McKay, everyone shall meet in the conference room in two hours to discuss the mission."

Dr. Weir raised her hand to silence Dr. McKay's complaints. "That will be all."

As Dr. Weir left the room, she couldn't stop the hundreds of questions that entered her mind. She hoped that this decision would not lead to a disaster.

* * *

Sheppard watched as Sky walked around seeming as though she was not merely looking at his meager possessions, but into a different room. He admired her graceful strides and her black hair that always seemed to have a tinge of blue within its shiny tresses. He snapped back to reality and wondered if he had fallen for Sky.

"I wish to go with you," Sky said pulling Sheppard out of his thoughts and back into the room.

He wondered if he should have even mentioned the gate address that Dr. Taylor had found, but he knew that he couldn't have kept something like that from Sky. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" Sky asked her eyes focused intently onto Sheppard as though she expected to see a lighting bolt strike down between them.

Sheppard struggled for a moment to find the right words. "We don't know what is on that planet. You need to stay here."

Sky took a step towards him. "I believe you are going to need my assistance. Ronon will not be going with you."

"No, even though he wants to go, Dr. Weir won't allow it. Colonel Yates and his team are part of the recon, so we'll be able to handle anything that comes our way. We do this kind of thing all of the time."

Sky frowned as apprehension filled her eyes. "I do not feel right having your life and your people's lives put at risk because of me."

"We're going to find you some answers, whether on this planet or another one." Sheppard hoped that he could fulfill his promise to Sky so that she could be whole. He couldn't imagine living life without knowing one's identity.

"Yes, but I can't help fearing what those answers shall be," Sky said with a sigh as she turned away from him.

Sheppard sighed, hoping that he would be able to bring her answers that would help Sky. "Besides, I don't choose who get to go to this planet. It is Dr. Weir who makes the decisions."

Sheppard watched as Sky nodded her head, but he knew that she wasn't going to give up trying to go to the planet. She would be like a hammer pounding on the nail until it was embedded deep into the wood.


	12. Chapter 12: Signs

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

guardianM3: I hope this long chapter makes up for the wait. Please review.

* * *

Chapter 12: Signs

Dr. Weir motioned for Sky to enter and had her take a seat. Dr. Weir knew why Sky had wanted to meet with her. She waited patiently for Sky to speak and looked at the girl sitting across from her. She could see the determination shining in Sky's eyes, but she still couldn't bring herself to fully trust Sky.

The girl was fiercely loyal to Sheppard, but Weir didn't know whether that was a good thing or not. Dr. Beckett had removed the control device from Sky freeing her from following the commands of anyone with an Ancient gene. He made it clear that there were no ill effects from having the device with in her or due to its removal. Weir trusted Dr. Beckett's word, but they still didn't understand everything about the Ancient technology.

There was a lot to consider when it came to the dark haired mysterious woman sitting across from her. Sky had rescued Sheppard and his team the first time they had met, possibly due to the control device that makes her save an Ancient's life at great risk to her own. When they had returned to the planet a second time to discover what they could about Sky, she had disobeyed a direct order from Sheppard, saving the lives of Sheppard and Yates. Finally, when Sky had defeated the mutant Wraith and her past began to come together, it was easy to let down their guards.

It was easy to feel empathy for Sky who didn't know who she was or where she had really come from. At least, Sky _claimed_ not to know anything about her past. That was what bothered Weir so much was that couldn't be certain about anything when it came to Sky. It was like stepping through the Stargate, having an idea that the atmosphere was suitable for you, but not knowing what truly lay at the other end of that wormhole.

Sheppard was entranced by this girl. Everyone in Atlantis could see that as plain as the waves crashing against the city. Sheppard's friends were the only ones concerned about the affect Sky had on him. The question going through their minds was Sky a hurricane waiting to bring down Sheppard and Atlantis?

Weir stepped out of her thoughts and focused on Sky.

Sky looked directly into Dr. Weir's eyes, letting Dr. Weir know that she wasn't going to give up. "Dr. Weir, I must let you know that I intend to join the mission."

Dr. Weir didn't back down from Sky's intimidating stare. She had a firm look of her own from having to deal with nasty politics. "Sky, I can not let you join the mission. It is far too dangerous." She watched closely, wanting to catch Sky's reaction and if anything useful would be revealed.

Sky didn't seem fazed at all, as she retained her unwavering stare. "As I recall, Dr. Weir, I am able to handle dangerous situations."

Dr. Weir held back a sigh as she thought about allowing Sky to join the mission. She knew that Sky could handle herself, quite well in fact, and that she seemed protective of others, but no one knew what Sky's connection was to that planet.

"I must go, Dr. Weir, this is my choice to make."

She could see that Sky's resolve wasn't going to fade and she had a feeling that Sky would go on that mission no matter her decision.

She held back a sigh and taped her finger on her desk to emphasizing every word that she spoke. "You will follow Sheppard's orders and you will not stray from the team."

Sky gave affirmation with a firm nod of her head and didn't argue. Weir dismissed her and watched Sky leave the room. Even with her logical mind, she wished for a sign or an omen to let her know the outcome.

She didn't know why she had given up her resolve to allow Sky to go. She didn't know if it was because Sky was loyal to Sheppard or if it had been that determination in Sky's eyes that seemed to burn through Weir and into her own soul.

* * *

Sheppard didn't have to notice the mirrored looks on Teyla and McKay's faces to know that they were not happy that Sky was going with them. He chose not to say a word because it hadn't been his choice either. He would have preferred that Sky remain in Atlantis since no one knew what to expect on the other side of the gate. The MALP had shown that the atmosphere was suitable but it hadn't shown any signs of civilization.

They sent the MALP a second time to see if anyone or anything had been around the gate or were currently around the gate. The MALP didn't detect any life form within 20 yards of the gate.

He watched silently as the remaining members of the mission gathered, weapons held tightly in their hands, waiting for the unknown once they reached the planet.

Sheppard was curious about their destination wondering why the Ancient who had created the mutant Wraith and had experimented on Sky had left the gate address in his lab. There was a seed of dread threatening to branch out and consume him. Sheppard wished that Ronon would be going with them, especially since the man had some rather sweet weapons that he knew how to use quite effectively.

Sky was standing a little off to the side, not quite part of the team even though she had told Sheppard earlier that she would protect all of them. He didn't know what the rest of the team was thinking about Sky going along with them. They didn't seem to be worrying much about it since no one had said anything or was shooting him looks like Teyla and McKay.

He turned and nodded his head to Dr. Weir, who gave the confirmation to dial the address. He watched the gate dial the address and open the wormhole. He couldn't help but remember the first time he had seen the Stargate and the wormhole. It had been something he had never imagined was possible and certainly never expected that he would be one to explore other worlds, other galaxies.

He looked at the horizon wondering what lay not just beyond this particular wormhole, but several thousands more that he wished to enter. He didn't bother to look at Teyla, McKay or even Sky as he stepped through the gate pushing away his thoughts focusing on what needed to be done here and now.

* * *

Sheppard studied the area surrounding the gate, searching for any possible threats and taking in the environment around them. The area was a simple clearing with a scattering of trees acting as protectors of the Ancient gate.

He studied the tall grass, wondering if anything was hiding within it. There was no wind so he would be able to tell if something moved within the grass. He could hear the buzzing of insects and the trilling of birds off in the distance.

When everyone had stepped through and the gate had closed, Sheppard ordered Colonel Harper and Captain Conway to guard the gate. He had everyone else to break into teams of two and do a sweep in a grid-like pattern making sure that the teams were no more than twenty feet away from each other.

He paired Teyla and McKay together, and had Sky go with him. He knew that no one was surprised in his decision, but he certainly didn't deserve McKay's rolling eyes. Lastly, Captain Baker and Lt. Reynolds were paired together, which worked out well since they were used to being paired together.

Sheppard focused his attention on finding some sign of civilization, anything that could connect this planet to the Ancients or to Sky. He would glance her way a few times wondering what she was thinking, if perhaps she remembered anything about this planet, but how could she when all it was were trees and grass.

They had been walking for half an hour when McKay radioed Sheppard.

"Go ahead, McKay," Sheppard responded hoping that McKay had found something useful that wouldn't endanger their lives.

"Found some indications of civilization. Just some ruins though."

"We'll all gather there to check it out." Sheppard radioed the other teams to meet McKay and Teyla. It only took a few minutes for them to all gather around McKay, interested in what he had found.

"It's something," McKay said when Sheppard stepped into view.

McKay's discovery consisted of an arch and a road or perhaps it had once been a floor. The floor or road was on the other side of the perfectly formed arch, except for the wear and tear from the weather. All of the stones used in the arch and for the road were cut all of the same shape and size.

Sheppard took a few steps forward toward the arch and saw that there were symbols carved into the stones of the arch, but had been difficult to see due to the moss that covered the stones like a blanket. He didn't recognize the symbols.

"Sky, do you recognize these symbols?" Sheppard asked his eyes looked on to her face for any sign of familiarity.

"No, I do not," she replied calmly her voice sounding almost impassive.

Sheppard nodded knowing that Sky spoke the truth and wondered why he had thought she would have lied about such a thing.

"McKay, take some pictures. Then we'll continue for a little while. Maybe there are people close by." Sheppard looked at McKay knowing that the doctor didn't recognize the symbols either.

McKay nodded and took a few photos before they continued with the grid walk.

The next discovery came fifteen minutes later from Lt. Reynolds and Captain Baker.

Sheppard studied the new site. This time it was a pure white stone slab about two feet long cut in a perfect oval. Around the edge of the stone were crystals of various colors embedded into the stone almost as though they had grown from the stone, but Sheppard thought otherwise.

On the other side of the stone was a marker filled with some of the same symbols that they had seen earlier. These signs of civilization were about half a mile apart, but the only connection was the symbols. It didn't look as though there had been any travel to either of the sites but Sheppard couldn't be certain. Something was nagging at him, but he couldn't find the source.

He had McKay take some more pictures as he thought about the purpose of the altar. The stone slab wasn't large enough for a sacrifice nor did it seem to have any stains of any kind.

"What are you thinking?" Teyla asked him the fist words she had spoken during the entire mission.

"That something isn't quite right," he replied with a frown.

"Yes, I agree. It seems that these two places are both leading us towards the same direction, almost as though they were designated markers for travelers."

He sensed that something was amiss and he realized he wasn't the only one when he saw Sky tense. It was too late for him or anyone else to react as dozens of human shaped blurs swept down upon them from the forest.

The gun was knocked from his hands and he was sent flying backwards into McKay, both of them landing roughly on the ground exchanging numerous grunts and groans.

Teyla had used her gun like a battering ram against one of the blurs but the blur just pulled the gun right out of her hands and grabbed her.

Sky was the only one who seemed to be able to fight against the blurs, almost becoming one herself, but there were too many of them.

Sheppard was yanked onto his feet and a rather sharp dagger was placed against his throat. He watched helplessly as the rest of his team had various sharp implements ready to harm or kill at a second's notice, except Sky who continued to fight. Sky paused suddenly noticing that she was the only one who was still free and looked at Sheppard.

He signaled to Sky that she must stop fighting. He watched as Sky hesitated seeing that the adrenaline raced through her like lava, hot and needing to break through everything around her. He was relieved when she dropped the weapon she clutched in her hand, noticing that she had somehow grabbed onto a dagger from one of their attackers.

As they allowed their attackers to restrain them with itchy, thick rope, Sheppard studied them. They were pretty close to being human, except for a few minor differences that wouldn't be too noticeable if they were on Earth. The main difference was that several of their attackers had a feline shape to their eyes.

As they were prodded along, Sheppard wondered how long it would take for the two guards at the gate began to worry. He hoped that they would soon realize that something was wrong and return to Atlantis to get some help.

* * *

They had been traveling for about half an hour at a rather quick pace when they reached their destination. It was a city built with massive walls, towers and other fortifications that Sheppard knew could hold back an enemy for quite awhile. They were not brought through the main gate, but through a smaller one on the side.

They were led through narrow alleyways, turning corners at several points along the way never seeing anyone but their captors. Sheppard tried to think of a way to get free from their captors, get out of the city and back to the Stargate. In every scenario that he played in his head, none of them would make it back to the gate alive.

They took one more turn and ended in a wide space filled with water fountains and flowers. They stood before a building built of shining white stone. The building towered over all of the other buildings. There were arched windows, perfectly shaped and had similar symbols written in the stone.

As Sheppard looked around, he saw that Captain Conway and Colonel Harper, the two that he had left to guard the gate, had also been taken prisoners. He would have sworn, but one of his captors pushed him roughly forward, causing him to bump into McKay.

When their captors had seemed satisfied that their captives had all seen one another, they were pushed toward the white building. They were brought to stand before a pair of doors that took two men to push open. Sheppard couldn't help but feel small compared to the massive columns that looked as though a giant had stuck them into the floor.

Their captors prodded them along with the sharp points of their spears, having only a meager light coming from the far end of the room to guide them. Sheppard could now see the rows of seats hidden in the darkness between the columns that circled an altar at its very center.

They pulled Sheppard forward and brought his hands over the crystal. The crystal began to glow but then it changed to a vibrant red. Sheppard heard the angry murmurs as he felt a sharp jab of pain on his lower back. He fell to his knees but was roughly pulled up and off to the side.

He watched as everyone was put through this strange test. The crystal didn't do anything when Teyla, Colonel Harper, and Captain had been put through the test. When McKay, Lt. Reynolds and Captain Baker the crystal glowed red and they were roughly pushed to where Sheppard was standing.

He realized that the stone glowed red only for those who had the Ancient gene. He wondered who these people were and why they didn't seem to like anyone who had the Ancient gene.

Only Sky remained to be tested. He saw her glance towards him, asking him if she should fight these people. He could only shake his head, knowing that if they tried anything they would all be killed.

He saw her frown but she allowed her captors to pull her forward and place her hands over the crystal. Sheppard knew that the crystal wouldn't glow red because she didn't have the Ancient gene. He was surprised though when the crystal began to glow a pure white and with such intensity, that he had to close his eyes and turn away.

When he could tell the light had finally dimmed he opened his eyes and looked around the room. He saw the look of shock on the faces of his captors, the ones that he could see anyway and he wondered what this meant.

Excited murmurs filled the room making Sheppard wonder if this was a sign that would lead to their freedom or a sign that something worse was going to happen to them. He hoped that it was a good sign but knowing that things never seemed to work in his favor when he really wanted it too, he focused on trying to find a way out.


	13. Chapter 13: Ereshkigal

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made from it.

* * *

guardianM3: I apologize for the late update. I've been very busy. I'll try to update regularly, especially since it is a new year. Let me know what you think about the story so far.

* * *

Chapter 13: Ereshkigal

McKay was pacing in the cell he shared with Sheppard, Lt. Reynolds and Captain Baker. He wondered what was happening to the other members of the team. As soon as the inhabitants of the planet had calmed down enough, they had placed them in cells. He had seen Teyla, Colonel Harper and Captain Conway placed in a cell in the first part of the dungeons. He knew Sky had not been locked up even though he had no evidence to support it.

Sky hadn't moved or even blinked when they had been taken from the room. McKay suspected that Sky either had been in shock or had been placed in a trance by the crystal. McKay suspected that the first option was the correct one.

When they were being put through that test, it hadn't taken McKay long to realize that they were sorting out the people who carried the Ancient gene. It was also apparent that the people on the planet didn't care for anyone with the Ancient gene considering how they treated those that had it. It also seemed as though they didn't like the people who associated with those who cared the Ancient gene. McKay couldn't help but wonder what the Ancients had done to these people.

His mind changed direction as he changed the direction of his pacing. He thought about how the crystal worked. Was it as a unique crystal or perhaps the crystal was merely a façade for the real device? He couldn't wait to take that device apart piece by piece and learn how it worked and what else it could do.

He focused his mind to return to the problem they were currently in and how to get out of it. His gaze lingered on Sheppard. Sheppard hadn't spoken or moved at all since they had been placed in the cell. McKay knew that he had to save everyone again.

"Does anyone have any ideas on how to get out of here?" McKay asked.

"What exactly are we supposed to do, McKay? Our weapons were taken from us, and we have no idea if the others are still being held in the cell that we saw them placed in. Oh yeah. I almost forgot, it seems that our ally Sky is in league with the enemy," Lt. Reynolds said.

"We do not know for sure that Sky is in league with them. You saw her face, she was in shock," Captain Baker replied defensively.

"Right, Baker. Sky is setting up relations with the natives and they just put us here until they get our suites ready," McKay said sarcastically and with a snort.

"Stop it. We don't know anything right now. Especially anything regarding Sky." Sheppard said firmly yet in a low, threatening voice.

"Well, Colonel, what do you want to do to get out of this situation?" Reynolds asked his gaze turning dark.

"We wait. Those are my orders." Sheppard said firmly when it looked as though Lt. Reynolds was about to protest.

McKay saw Reynolds frown but the Lieutenant didn't try to argue with Sheppard. He wondered if Reynolds would disobey Sheppard's order.

McKay wondered if a fight amongst them would happen before the natives returned to their cell and brought them to their fate. He just hoped that Sheppard would come to his senses and help him think how to escape before the natives returned.

* * *

Charage walked down the corridor, his feline eyes reflecting from the light from the crystals set into sconces on the walls. His long black robe hid his slender frame and a medallion that bore the image of the Eternal One.

Being the Keeper of the Archives, he had been entrusted with the medallion and the secrets of the Eternal One. It had never been a burden, but an honor to carry on the secrets that he had kept for years. It felt as though the medallion was being pressed against his chest by an invisible hand.

She had returned. It had been several millennia since she had led them in the fight against the Ancients. It seemed that the wait was over and that they could finally return to their destiny.

He entered the Altar room where the Eternal One had been left and spotted her standing next to the window, looking at something unknown to him.

"Eternal One, we welcome your return," Charage bowed deeply.

She turned and looked at him with anger in her eyes. "My name is Sky."

Charage frowned but he knew that he must continue for his faith in the Eternal One had never wavered. "You are the Eternal One," Charage said firmly his eyes never leaving her face. "You lead us for centuries before you were forced to be away from your loyal worshippers."

"I am not this Eternal One. I am called Sky. What is the Eternal One's name? I mean, she must have a real name."

"Your name is Ereshkigal."

"I am not her."

"You do not know your own name! What have those beings done to you?" Charage knew that the Ancients had taken The Eternal One's memories from her. He felt a jab of fear that she would not remember. "Those wretched beings that you brought here have done this to you! They should be destroyed for doing this to you."

She walked up to Charage and stood before him, her eyes "They are my friends and all they have done is to help me. If any harm has come to them, you will regret it."

Charage held back his anger and kept reminding himself that he had help her remember her true identity. "They have not been harmed." Charage paused for a minute thinking about what to say. "The fates have returned you to us. We have waited for you for centuries."

"What proof do you have that I am this Eternal One?"

Charage turned and pointed at the crystal. "The crystal does not reveal falsehoods. It tells us who is a vile Ancient but when the crystal glowed with such pure white light we knew that you were the Eternal One."

"Just because the crystal glowed a certain color doesn't mean that I am her. It could be a coincidence."

"It is no coincidence. I know that you are Ereshkigal, the Eternal One because of this," Charage said as he slid his hand beneath his robe, pulled out the medallion, and handed it to Sky.

He watched as she studied the image of a woman on the medallion. He saw something flicker in her eyes and he thought it was recognition. Then he saw her eyes darken.

"You are our goddess, our queen. Your return was prophesied and this medallion proves it is so."

"This medallion doesn't prove anything." Sky said as she threw the medallion back into Charage's hands.

"Where are my friends?"

Charage couldn't hide the disgust on his face or the hatred in his voice. "They are in the dungeons, where they belong."

"You must remember. You must." Charage said as he held the medallion in the air before the crystal.

The crystal shot a beam of pure white light onto the medallion causing the light to beam into her eyes.

* * *

Sheppard lay on his back with his hands behind his head staring up at the ceiling. He saw McKay continuing to pace out of the edge of his vision. It bothered him that he was the only one who trusted Sky. Sky had saved his life and he had given her his trust in return.

He certainly had not ignored the fact that their captors had treated him and the others like vermin. McKay wasn't the only one wondering trying to figure a way out of here. He just didn't want his team to worry but as far as he could tell, they were trapped until the guards returned.

The natives had acted strangely when the crystal had glowed differently for Sky. Sheppard hoped that this was a good sign and that it would mean Sky could set them free.

Teyla and the others joined them, as they were lead out of the dungeons and back into the room with the crystal. All along the way, Sheppard noticed that Teyla was trying to get his attention, but he shook his head, knowing that she wanted to try to break free.

He recognized some of the paintings and thought that they were being led back to the room with the crystal. He hoped that Sky was there and was unharmed.

As they entered the room, he saw Sky standing next to the crystal surrounded by half a dozen of the natives dressed in robes. He saw no visible wounds and it seemed as though the robed natives were standing guard over her. He started to plan a way to grab Sky and get them all out of there just in case the natives were intending to kill them.

The guards forced them to stop about ten feet from where Sky stood. Absolute silence filled the room and Sheppard couldn't help but notice that everyone, including the members of his team, were looking at Sky and waiting.

"You are being released," Sky said as she nodded her head toward the guards.

Sheppard smiled and sighed. "That's great. So, how did you convince them to let us go?"

Sky ignored Sheppard as she pointed her finger toward the door. "You shall go and tell the Ancients and those who follow them, whether by worshipping them or those who carry their blood, that they shall all be destroyed."

"Sky?" Sheppard asked as one of the natives prodded him forwarded and away from Sky.

Sky looked into Sheppard's eyes, showing that hers were no longer the color of blue from a sunny day but the blue of a darkening sky. "I am Ereshkigal. The Eternal One."

Sky looked away from Sheppard as she continued. "Be warned, your lives shall be spared just this once. You shall be the messengers of your people's own doom."

"Come, John. We must leave," Teyla said as she grabbed his arm and pulled him along.

Sheppard allowed himself to be lead away by Teyla. He couldn't believe what he had seen in Sky's eyes. She had looked at him with such hatred and revulsion, Sheppard wondered if it had been Sky at all.


	14. Chapter 14: Babylonian Goddess

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 14: Babylonian Goddess

Dr. Weir studied Sheppard's face during the debriefing. His eyes wouldn't meet hers and she imagined that his eyes were staring beyond the room, beyond Atlantis and to that planet. The others had delivered a straightforward story of what had happened but they had various emotions in their voices. It sounded as though Sheppard had been speaking through an old radio with a monotone voice.

She couldn't help her own curiosity of the thoughts that must have been going through his mind. Her own doubts about Sky came to mind, but she never imagined that Sky had been an enemy of the Ancients thousands of years ago.

"Colonel Sheppard, I would like you to remain for a moment."

She saw the looks of those that were leaving but focused on Sheppard.

She waited for them to leave before she spoke. "How are you dealing with what's happened?"

"Some alcohol would help, if I could get some." John sighed as he ran his hands through his hair. "Don't worry, Elizabeth, I'm fine."

She saw that he was struggling with what had happened and what it meant. "John…I know this is difficult for you."

"Not now, Elizabeth. Not now."

She nodded her head and watched as he walked out of her office. She wanted to help him understand that Sky was not to be trusted. She was concerned how this would affect his work and the rest of the team.

She contacted Dr. Taylor and asked her to find out everything she could about Ereshkigal. She hoped for Sheppard's sake and everyone else that they would find something useful.

McKay sat in an uncomfortable chair across from Teyla and Ronon who were, in his opinion, just trying to hit each other with sticks and not training in some form of stick fighting. It was only about a minute of hearing the sticks clacking together as Teyla and Ronon spun around each other trying to disarm the other that he decided to speak his mind.

He stood up and threw up his hands. "I can't believe this! After we saved her life! She turns on us."

As he paced he continued to complain about Sky. He figured that she had planned this great betrayal from the beginning. He hadn't noticed that he was beginning to sound like a conspiracy theorist that had been up for several days drinking dozens of energy drinks.

"McKay," Teyla said softly as she dodged on of Ronon's swings.

He stopped pacing and turned to look at her. "What?"

"You do not need to express your opinions so loudly. We don't need to be reminded of the events that recently occurred."

"I think we do need to remember that she is a bad guy and that trusting her from the beginning was a mistake."

"I do not want Sheppard to hear what you are saying."

He looked at Ronon hoping that he would join his side but he saw that Ronon was going to stay out of the conversation. "So? He knows that she betrayed us! Don't you remember what she said? She is going to have us all destroyed just because some of us carry the Ancient gene or if we are friends of those who carry the gene."

Teyla blocked Ronon's attack. "Yes, I recall that moment quite well but he is processing that Sky is not Sky any longer."

"McKay, if you don't leave us alone I shall make certain that you will never be able to whine again," said Ronon threateningly.

"I can't leave this alone, Ronon. We need to find out more about her so we can get Sheppard to get out of this Sky-induced fog that is keeping him trapped in this fantasy land."

Ronon signaled to Teyla to stop as he turned to McKay. "You can speak with Dr. Taylor."

"Dr. Taylor?" McKay scoffed.

"She is researching Sky and I'm sure she has already has some information."

"We can go see if she has anything."

* * *

"Dr. Taylor, it is good to see you again."

"Same here Teyla."

"We didn't come for a nice little chat and a cup of tea we are here for information."

"McKay, have I ever told you that you are extremely annoying and that it only takes about nine seconds of someone being in your presence to realize that about you?"

"Very amusing, but we are here for some information."

She sighed and turned back to the computer. "Will you leave me alone? I have some research to do and some information to prepare for Dr. Weir."

"What kind of information?" McKay asked as he leaned on the desk and looked at her notes.

She closed the folder and looked up at him with flashing green eyes. "About Sky. About Ereshkigal."

Teyla stepped forward and pulled McKay away from the desk. "That is why we came to see you."

Dr. Taylor looked at her watch. "Well, then you can wait until the meeting that is supposed to happen in about twenty minutes."

"Meeting? We were not invited to the meeting."

"Speak to Dr. Weir about it, McKay, and leave me in peace so I can get my work done on time."

Teyla grabbed his arm before he said a word. "Thank you, Dr. Taylor we shall take your advice and speak with Dr. Weir."

"Thank you, Teyla. I'm sure that all of you will be at the meeting. At least everyone who should be there."

Ronon grabbed onto McKay and pushed him out of the room before he could respond to her remark.

Four out of ten chairs had people sitting in them as Dr. Taylor walked into the room. She greeted them all with a polite nod, except Dr. McKay, in which she sent him a cold glare. She saw Teyla and Ronon, but was surprised that Colonel Sheppard wasn't sitting with his team.

"Hello, everyone. Dr. Weir, is everyone here that needs to be here?"

"Yes, Dr. Taylor, we are all here. Who is Ereshkigal?" Dr. Weir asked motioning for her to begin.

"She was a Sumerian Death Goddess. She was the ruler of the Underworld."

"Any other information that may be useful?" Dr. McKay scoffed as he crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.

She gave him a withering glare before she continued. "There isn't much known about her, but she is also linked with Inanna and Ishtar. They were known to be rather promiscuous but they were also the Goddesses of war."

"So, you're saying that we don't really know anything?"

She looked directly at him letting him know that he wasn't going to push her buttons. "This information is important Dr. McKay. It gives us an insight into Sky…uh…Ereshkigal."

She cleared her throat and continued. "It's connected to Babylon. The information we have about Babylon is mostly guesswork."

Dr. Weir frowned. "She's Babylonian? But the Babylonian's were around 3,000 years ago while the Ancients are a lot older."

"That is true. Ereshkigal may be her real name and the Ancients may have mentioned her to the Babylonians. We do know that some Ancients lived among humans throughout history. We know that Merlin was an Ancient. It doesn't surprise me at all that there were Ancients living among humans during Babylonian times. They may have mentioned Ereshkigal to warn humans if she ever returned."

"Ereshkigal doesn't sound as though she is fond of the Ancients or of us," said Teyla.

"So, Sky, is bad? Like that wasn't obvious since she threatened us!" McKay exclaimed loudly. He opened his mouth and was about to say something else when Dr. Weir shot him a warning look that surprisingly shut his mouth right up.

"That's all of the information I could find. Even the Ancient Archive wasn't much help."

Dr. Weir nodded appreciatively at Dr. Taylor. "Thank you, Dr. Taylor. We all appreciate all of the hard work that you have done. We will have to have some patience in this situation until we can find out more information."

"Patience? I don't believe that Sky or Ereshkigal will wait for us to gather more information. We need to stop talking about this and stop her," Ronon said.

"Ronon, I understand the urgency of this situation but I don't want to put the people of Atlantis at risk. I assure you that we will not take too much time to gather the needed information. Since Dr. Taylor has finished that is all for now."

"Dr. Weir, may I speak with you for a moment." She waited for the room to clear before she spoke again. "I know it may not be my place, but I believe that Colonel Sheppard should have been here."

"I respect your opinion Dr. Taylor, but I believe it was necessary. He sees Sky as a woman who is lost and troubled. According to your information, she may be a dangerous being."

She shook her head. "I don't know if he will see her that way."

"If he doesn't he will soon."

When Dr. Weir dismissed her with a nod of her head, she grabbed her notes and left the room. She hoped that Sheppard would realize that Sky could be dangerous sooner rather than later. She had an ominous feeling deep within her that the more the found out about Ereshkigal the worse it was going to be.


	15. Chapter 15: An Old Ally

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 15: An Old Ally

The sun shone on the city illuminating the fortress that had built using rare white stones. The light reflected prominently on the tower where Ereshkigal stood wearing clothes similar to the ones she had worn as Sky, but made with different material that illuminated slightly in the light.

As she looked over the vast city, she saw several of the Tigrians, the people whose lives belonged to her. She watched as they went quickly about their daily routines. Their lives would soon change.

She left the balcony and stepped into her chambers. On every wall hung paintings of her striking down Ancients and saving the people of Tigria. A white light always surrounded her image, while shadows surrounded the Ancients.

A large, finely woven rug went from the gilded gold doors to the large finely crafted bed. A seating area with comfortable chairs and flowers were on one side of the room while a large closet was on the other. The Tigrians had created garments made from the finest cloth and jewelry made from the highest quality stones for her to wear.

Beyond the fortress, they had built temples and shrines to worship her. All of this meant nothing to her. All that mattered to her was that they would obey her without question, without knowing her true purpose.

A loud knock on the door brought her back from her thoughts. "Enter, Charage."

Charage entered, bowing gracefully and when he rose, his feline green eyes met her dark blue ones.

"Goddess, why do we wait when have been preparing for the end of the Ancients for several millennia?"

She turned toward one of the paintings that showed her eviscerating an Ancient with a spear infused with her godly powers that brought a sinister smile to her face. "The ones who are descended from the Ancients have different technologies. I do have a plan that will render them defenseless and shall allow us to finally destroy them."

"How?" He asked his eyes focused on her.

"I shall contact an old ally."

Ereshkigal turned to Charage, dismissing him with a wave of her hand. Even though he wanted to know more, he bowed and left her chambers. She left her chambers soon after, knowing that she must see her ally face to face.

* * *

The hive ship was quiet and still except for the hum of the hibernation pods. Only the Wraith Queen and the Wraith Keeper were the only ones awake, watching over those sleeping in hibernation.

The Wraith Queen sensed a familiar presence that she hadn't felt in a long time. She had been in hibernation for a few centuries here and there, which diminished the sense of time slightly. Her senses must have been wrong for the one she believed was there had been destroyed long ago.

"Come forward so I may decide whether or not to destroy you," she ordered.

The figure stepped forward into the light the tint of blue in the figure's dark hair was familiar to the Wraith Queen.

Her eyes narrowed as she addressed her visitor. "Ereshkigal, I thought the Ancients had destroyed you."

Ereshkigal strode closer, an amused expression on her face. "As you can see, I am still alive."

Her eyes narrowed, knowing that trying to get into her mind would be a waste of effort but she knew the reason for the visit. "The descendents of the Ancients now occupy Atlantis."

"Yes, this I know already. I have met them."

The Wraith Queen suspected that Ereshkigal had more than just met them, which knowing this information would be useful later. "They are crafty ones and they have a strength I have never seen in their race before."

Her eyes narrowed as she rubbed her hand along the table that separated them. "They are just as weak as their predecessors. Soon, they shall fall."

She looked at her ancient ally, knowing that trust between them had existed but had been thin. Very thin. "You do realize that they are not from this galaxy?"

"Yes and I know that you wish to find the location of this galaxy so you have fresh humans to supply your army."

"I sense that you have a plan to defeat them."

"Yes."

She raised an inquisitive eye as she looked over Ereshkigal once more. She never expected that Ereshkigal would return or that she would have a plan to bring down Atlantis.

"What makes you believe that this plan of yours will finally bring down Atlantis?"

Her lips curved up and eyes shone darkly. "Our joining shall give us the power to finally defeat them. You shall receive what you desire as will I."

The Wraith Queen had seen that look in Ereshkigal's eyes once before and she knew that she had to be wary. She thought about what their joint efforts would accomplish, for her, and how to ensure that she would not be betrayed.

Ereshkigal eyes met hers, dark secrets and plans that wouldn't be revealed until she wanted them to.

"Very well, Ereshkigal. What have you planned that shall bring the descendents of the Ancients to their knees?"

As Ereshkigal told the Wraith Queen her plan, she wondered what Ereshkigal really desired.

* * *

Charage paced in his room, the lavish rug masking his footfalls. His loyalty for the Eternal One had been waning since her return. Something didn't feel right to him and he didn't know the cause. The medallion that hung from his neck was a symbol of his duties and he had been born to fulfill those duties. He would place the medallion in his hand and study it, hoping that it would explain his uncertainty in his faith.

The Ancients had tried to destroy them but Ereshkigal had protected them. The story of the Eternal One had been told to every Tirgrian since birth. The Eternal One had come from the heavens and had become one of them to stand against the power hungry Ancients who wished to control the entire galaxy.

The look from the leader of the descendents of the Ancients troubled him. The look of confusion had been apparent in the dark haired man's eyes but there had been another emotion unknown to him. It was troubling to him though that Ereshkigal had even forgotten about her people and of her oath to destroy the Ancients. Unless, she had been trying to mislead the descendents into trusting her so she could destroy them.

A messenger who knocked on the door and entered without a word from him interrupted his thoughts.

Charage turned to the young man whose feline shaped eyes were a mix of yellow and green. "Yes, Quar?"

Quar bowed and looked up at Charage, a foolishly knowing look in a young man's eyes, believing they knew more than their elders. "The Assembly wishes to speak with you."

"Very well. I shall be there momentarily." He didn't have to dismiss Quar as the young man left on his own.

He knew the reason he was been called to the Assembly but he could not form his thoughts into words. As he left his chambers, his thoughts turned to the dark haired descendent and the look in his eyes.


	16. Chapter 16: Discovery

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 16: Discovery

Dr. Zelenka nodded to Dr. Taylor as he entered the lab. He was getting anxious trying to study and figure out all of the information that the rogue Ancient scientist had collected. The information had been sorted into different sections but everything was in code and each part had a different cipher. It was taking hours just to read one file.

The base was set on the highest alert due to the threat that Ereshkigal had said to Sheppard and his team.

He had briefly met Sky and hadn't formed an opinion of her. It was true that she had killed a few Wraiths with some fearsome skill, but the Wraiths had been determined to kill people. He wasn't prone to violence, but having been in the Pegasus Galaxy for a while, he had learned that it was necessary for survival.

He had a feeling that something within all of this data would be useful; he just had to find it. He watched the Ancient writing on the monitor trying to find the essential piece of information. Using science to improve lives and understanding the universe was important to him. Especially the information contained within this computer may contain something to stop a future attack from Ereshkigal or possibly the Wraith.

Frustrated with the computer and allowing the program to try a new decipher he turned to the extracted chip from Sky. He had been studying the device carefully, knowing that he still had a lot more to learn about it. He could have asked McKay to help him study the device, but he was more concerned about an impending attack from Ereshkigal.

"Got anything yet, Dr. Zelenka?" Dr. Taylor asked as she wrote something down in a notebook before she turned toward him.

"No, not yet," he sighed with frustration.

"This situation with Sky makes me wonder why this Ancient had anything to do with her. I mean, if she and her people were bent on destroying the Ancients, why would an Ancient even bring her to Atlantis?"

"The chip was used to control her. Maybe the Ancient wanted to control her so he could control her people?"

"No, I think there was far more to it than that. Something is off here."

"What is off, Dr. Taylor?"

She smiled at him. "You can call me Lucy."

Radek looked into her brilliant jade eyes "Yes, yes, of course. You may call me Radek."

"It just doesn't make any sense, Radek."

Radek liked the sound of his name coming from her red lips and the look in her green eyes. Radek tried to clear his mind of certain thoughts, but that more difficult than clearing one's throat. "Hopefully, we shall find the answers and have it all make sense."

They both went back to work and about an hour later, Radek saw that his computer had finished deciphering a file. His eyes widened and he felt his mouth open. "What? That cannot be right!"

Lucy turned to him. "What is it?"

He pointed at the screen, not having come to understanding what this discovery could possibly mean. "I have found the plans for the device that was in Sky."

Lucy got out of her chair and stood next to him. "What about it?"

"It does not make sense. I need to speak to Dr. Weir."

Radek left the room, knowing that Lucy bewilderment of his outburst was evident by the look on her face. He didn't have time to explain it to her and he knew that Dr. Weir would want the information as soon as possible.

* * *

Sheppard set his tray onto the table and sat down. His gaze swept over the mess hall. He could feel their eyes on him wondering about Sky and him. He was the Military Commander of the Atlantis Expedition but he felt like he was a rare, strange-looking fish in an aquarium.

The threat to Atlantis had many on edge. Others were in denial that Atlantis was in danger from a race that didn't have any significant technology. Well, Sheppard's team never saw Ereshkigal's people use any technology besides the crystal. It was possible that the planet contained advanced technology even though they believed that Ereshkigal was a goddess having returned to them.

Sheppard sighed as he used his fork to move his food in a clockwise direction. He had been avoiding his teammates for the last couple of days. He needed time to think. He needed to examine the time he had spent with Sky.

His thoughts turned to his plate of food. The Athosians had introduced many vegetables and fruits to the members of the Atlantis Expedition. The vegetable was green and had seeds like a cucumber but it tasted like a potato. He had seen Teyla eat the vegetable several times and she had mentioned that tasted differently when you ate it with a fish-type creature that the Athosians would eat. He hadn't tried the fish considering it looked like a prehistoric fish that had once been abundant on Earth and didn't look very appetizing.

He just couldn't keep his mind from what had happened. When he and his teammates were in that room with the crystal, he had seen Sky and truly believed that everything had been set right. The look that had been in her eyes.

She had saved his life and the lives of others before she had become Ereshkigal. He knew that the spirit of Sky was still in Ereshkigal. McKay would say that he was on a foolish quest and that he wanted to be the hero to save the damsel in distress.

He just had to go to that planet and discover whether Sky was still in Ereshkigal. He looked at his plate, which was now a mass of combined vegetables and started to formulate a plan.

* * *

Radek had reached Dr. Weir's office in record speed. He had met many people along the way but he hadn't really seen or heard anything but the thoughts taking over his mind. He entered the room as soon as Dr. Weir told him he could enter after he had knocked.

"Dr. Weir, I need to speak with you," he said quickly trying to catch his breath.

Dr. Weir looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Yes, Dr. Zelenka?"

Radek took a couple of deep breaths and was finally successful at regulating his breathing. "I found the plans for the control device that was in Sky."

Dr. Weir nodded her head, signaling that he should continue. "The chip was set on a timer. It wouldn't have been too much longer that she wouldn't be under the control of any one with the Ancient gene."

He could see her eyes widen but she maintained her composure. "That means?"

"It wasn't permanent. Even if Dr. Beckett hadn't removed the device, it would have turned off on its own."

She was silent for a moment and he knew that she was thinking about what the information could mean. "Are you certain about this information, Radek?"

"Yes, but I will need to confirm by studying the device. I believed it was important to tell you."

"Go back to the lab and document everything. I will send McKay to assist you. We need answers," Dr. Weir said as she operated her com link to contact McKay.

Radek left quickly to return to the lab and he hoped he would find answers that would make it better, and not make it worse.


	17. Chapter 17: The Assembly

Disclaimer: The characters of, "Stargate: SG-1" and "Stargate Atlantis", are owned by Robert C. Cooper, Brad Wright, Sci-Fi Channel and whoever else was involved with the creation and production of these two shows. Any new characters and story lines that come into play are of my own creation. No copyright infringement is intended. This is a fanfiction intended for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made off of it.

* * *

Chapter 17: The Assembly

Charage stood before the seven members of the Assembly wishing he could smooth out the imaginary wrinkles in his robes, but he knew that would be a sign of weakness. He raised his head but he blinked because the light came from the three luminous crystals that hung from the ceiling. He kept his hands steady as he tried to focus on the Assembly before him but it was difficult because the Assembly members were sitting in darkness.

The oldest and fiercest member leaned forward into the light so Charage could see his narrowed eyes. "Charage, you are the Eternal One's messenger. What are her wishes?"

Charage refrained from nervously licking his lips. "The Eternal One's wishes are her own. She has yet to reveal the details of her divine plans."

"We have waited a long time for her to return. We have waited for her to lead us to glory!"

"I understand," he began before he heard the door open behind him.

He turned and was surprised to see Ereshkigal walk into the room with a mixture of purpose and elegance he had never seen before. It caused his stomach to drop and an ache to strike his heart.

"Eternal One," the lead member of the Assembly said as he stood up and bowed. The rest of the Assembly followed suit.

She didn't acknowledge Charage as she faced the Assembly. "I order you to prepare for battle."

"Yes, Eternal One," the Assembly members hissed excitedly in unison.

Ereshkigal turned and ignored the Assembly as they cried her name as she walked away.

He watched as she walked out of the room, wondering if her return would lead his people to glory or to their destruction.

* * *

Ereshkigal walked on a path made from stones that reminded her of a white river cutting through an endless sea of green. She had waited a long time for this chance to destroy the Ancients and all that they had created.

She had protected this world from the influence of the Ancients. It had taken nearly a hundred years to build up their trust in her and her godliness. She hadn't allowed anyone to interfere with her plans until a thousand years ago but she had returned to the course she had set.

As she casually walked to her destination, her thoughts went to the man whom she had saved from death. Even when she had been under the influence of the chip, there had been something aching in her soul whenever she looked at him. She shook her head and reminded herself that it had been the chip. The chip had forced her to protect him because of the Ancient within him.

She focused on her objective. It had been a long time since she had walked this path but she had known that one day she would return when everything was in place. Something in her caused her to pause as she thought about the people she had met in the city of Atlantis. That one face in particular continued to overwhelm her mind, but she forcefully shoved it away. She had the desire to allow the people of Atlantis more time because they intrigued her. They were descendents of the Ancients, but there were many differences between them.

She shook her head knowing that they were dangerous and these distractions didn't go with her ambitions at all. She was concerned that she was losing sight of her goals. These feelings had never been in her before and she wouldn't allow these emotions to get in her way, just like that face that continued to appear in her mind.

The path ended to a temple that she had her followers build to house and protect one her most precious objects.

She pushed open the doors and stepped inside the enormous room. The crystals in the ceiling glowed at her presence when she passed the threshold. If it had been anyone other than her that walked into the temple, the crystals would have incinerated him or her.

Reaching the statue made out of pure crystal that a sculptor had created into her image, she took the medallion from her own neck and pressed it onto the engraving on the statue. The statue glowed and a box appeared in the statue's hands.

She grabbed the ornate box and smiled, knowing that this would enable her to do as she wished and to fulfill her plans.


End file.
